1. Introduction

It has been long known that a healthy lifestyle and healthy nutrition are two of the most significant factors from the external environment that characterize the state of a person’s health. This is especially important in the lifestyle of a child and a lactating woman. A healthy lifestyle and healthy nutrition provide support to the biochemical processes happening in each cell and tissue of the organism. This means that the type and quantity of the required nutrients that pass through the breast milk affect in a particular way the growth and development of a child as well as the development of the organs of the organism and its systems. In turn, this necessitates the provision of the basic nutrients: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and mineral substances to the lactating woman.

According to World Health Organization reports, in the year 2012, the global number of recorded stunted and morbidity-ridden children under the age of five surpassed 174 million. However, the number dropped to 140 million in the year 2020, of which over half are found in the Asia region and two-firths in the Africa region. Moreover, the reduction of this number by 40% by the year 2025 has been made a prominent target [1,2]. In addition to this, approximately 40-50% of child mortality globally can be attributed to poor Nutrition. A vast number of maternal and pediatric Nutrition problems are found in low- and middle-income nations spread across the African, Asian, and Latin American regions. However, the World Health Organization insists on Breastfeeding the baby exclusively within the first six months of delivery and thereafter until the child attains the age of two years [7–9].

From the above information, the significance of breastfeeding and planning proper nutritional care for lactating women plays a vital role in the proper growth and development of babies and constitutes one of the urgent tasks of physiology and medicine. This problem also receives particular state interest. In this regard, the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 574 of October 23, 2019: "On the support of breastfeeding and the requirements for food products of infants and young children" stresses the importance of supporting the work of "encouraging the practice of breastfeeding and the conduct of regular public awareness campaigns through health sector institutions as well as other entities" [3]. The daily requirement of basic and additional nutrients of lactating women according to the baby's milk consumption volume, mother’s age group, environment, and child spacing can differ [9].

Taking into account the above points, the study of the real nutrition of women aged 18–39 years who are lactating and living in the countryside of Kasbi and Chiroqchi districts of the Kashkadarya region during the winter-spring period was of particular interest to us.

2. Materials and Methods

The observations were carried out in the year 2023 in the selected group of lactating women aged 18-29 years and aged 30-39 years from the Kasbi and Chiroqchi districts of the Kashkadarya region. The first step in observing the study group was the voluntary selection of respondents according to the Helsinki declaration. In the next step, educational work and discussions about rational nutrition took place in the group of lactating women. The respondents' current consumption of food products was examined through the classical questionnaire survey method [6]. The respondents recorded their consumption of various food products over seven days in the specially designed questionnaire sheets. Checking of the questionnaires took place each day. The collected information was analyzed through the proper methodological approach. The protein, fat, and carbohydrates' content in the food products was calculated through the specially designed table [5]. The mathematical calculation and statistical treatment of the questionnaire information were carried out through the Microsoft Windows Excel software package. The results were compared with the proper norms [4].

3. Results and Discussion

The observations took place in the spring and in the winter of the year 2023. The quantity of basic nutrients as well as the energy value of the lactating women's daily food has been calculated. The results received will be summed up and their average value will be presented in the table below.

Table 1. Provision of Essential Nutrients in Breastfeeding Women (2023, Winter-Spring Season)

As can be seen from the table above, the quantity of the total proteins in the daily consumption of women aged 18–29 years old in the winter period amounts to 74.04±1.19 g, which constitutes an average of 26.7% less than the norm. The quantity of carbohydrates amounts to 261.15±5.28 g, which also constitutes an average of 20.7% less than the norm. The quantity of the fats amounts to 104.2% of the norm. The sum of the energy value of the daily food consumption amounts to 2090.1±25.3 kcal, which constitutes an average of 16.4% less than the norm. The same pattern was observed in the spring periods. The proportions of the basic nutrients were discovered to be 1:1.15:3.52 against the norm of 1:0.81:3.25 in the consumption of women aged 18–29 years old. This reveals that women in the same ages who are lactating fail to consume enough protein-rich materials and carbohydrates. This, in turn, can contribute to the nutritional levels of the mother and the babies she breastfeeds. Additionally, malnutrition of the lactating women can contribute to stunted growth of the babies due to low body mass. In the group of lactating women aged 30–39 years, the same trend was also found in the provision of basic nutrients in the daily diet. That is, their provision of proteins was at an average of 71.8%, and their provision of carbohydrates was at an average of 78.0%. The total energy value of the daily diet was at an average of 80.2% (see figure). The proportions of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates were at an average of 1:1.1:3.44 (norm: 1:0.78:3.17). The situation was the same in the results of the study done in the spring season. The figure below illustrates the relative measure of the quantity of proteins, fats, and carbs in the daily women’s diet during lactation in the form of percentages compared to the norm.

Figure 1. Essential nutrients and total energy value in the daily diet of breastfeeding women (P-protein, F-fat, Car-carbohydrat, Cal-calories; as a percentage relative to the recommended norm)

The results' analysis reveals that in the case of lactating women aged 18-39 years from the countryside of the Kashkadaryan region, the quantity of protein and carbohydrates consumed is substantially below the level of the normative indices, while the quantity of fats is almost at the level of the standards. This occurs because of their reduced consumption of meat, fish, eggs, bread and flour products, and certain sweets, because the consumption of fats-rich foodstuffs suffices. The protein, fat, and carbohydrates components of the total energy value of the diet account for 14.15%, 36.08%, and 49.75% respectively (as opposed to the norm: 16%, 30%, and 54%).

4. Conclusions

In the case of lactating women aged 18–29 and 30–39 years old from the rural regions of the Kashkadarya region, the quantity of basic nutrients in the form of proteins and especially animal proteins, as well as carbohydrates, in the daily meals does not reach the standard level, while the quantity of fats comes close to the standard level. The overall energy of daily meals also does not reach the standard level. The study of the basic food product of the studied lactating women’s daily meals reveals that the quantity of animal products containing protein and the quantity of bread and flour products are not high enough. The study of protein, fats, and carbohydrates available in lactating women's diets has particular significance in maintaining and improving the health of mothers and infants. In this regard, it has immense value to conduct continuous and organized public awareness and educational work regarding the concept of healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition practices of diverse sections of society, including lactating women.