DIPOLOG CITY — To ensure the health and safety of pregnant women, the City Health Office (CHO) here has spearheaded the conduct of “Buntis” congress recently.

Attended by 67 pregnant women from the different barangays of the city, the activity sought to provide expectant mothers with basic information on maternal and child healthcare.

During the congress, CHO personnel discussed topics such as fetal development during pregnancy, pre-natal care, postpartum care, breastfeeding and newborn screening.

CHO family planning coordinator and maternal healthcare midwife Rhodora M. Yrañela asked expectant mothers to always take care of their health and that of their unborn babies.

City Civil Registrar Rosemarie P. Miranda also discussed the importance of having their newborn children immediately registered with the Civil Registrar’s Office (CRO), as this is one of the rights of each child to have a name and a nationality.

CHO personnel told the participants to always seek the services of a midwife and not a “hilot” (traditional birth attendant) when they are about to deliver their babies. They were also advised to go to the nearest birthing clinics or hospitals to give birth to their children, as the Department of Health (DOH) no longer allows the midwives to go house-to-house to attend to pregnant women.