almotamar.net - The Yemeni organisation for the woman and child development (SOUL) has warned against the dangers resulting from pregnant women who chew qat. The organisation pointed out to results of studies conducted in the field of reproductive health in the Yemeni environment.

The studies revealed reduction in average of newly-born infants weight as a result of women chewing qat regularly. That was also confirmed in another study conducted in Ethiopia confirming what qat does in causing reduction of born children in addition to its effect on the infant after birth through breast-feeding.

The executive manager of the organisation Dr Arwa al-Darram pointed out other complications produced by expectant mothers chewing of qat, among them prevention of flow of milk and its low amount in women and that leads to malnutrition. She said besides qat, smoking and negative smoking with qat-chewing causes change in milk flavour, pointing to results of a study conducted by Najat Hatim Khalil on a sample of 805 women in Sana'a where she found out that 77.3% of women chew qat.

Dr Arwa considered that percentage as a dangerous indicator on the extent of the dissemination of the phenomenon of qat-chewing among women.

The organisation has last Thursday started a national campaign for enlightening the expectant woman and the woman who beast-feed her children about detriments of qat-chewing, using various media tools and illustrations to be placed at health centres and secondary schools in the capital.