Adequate Nutrition In Relation To Pregnancy

Adequate nutrition in pregnant women is one of the most crucial components of a healthy society. Many of the chronic, ongoing problems that pregnant women experience in the area of health can be alleviated if they receive adequate nutrition throughout their life cycle.
Pregnancy is the one time in your life when your eating habits directly affect another person. Your decision to incorporate delicious vegetables, whole grains and legumes, lean protein, and other wise food choices into your eating plan before and during pregnancy will give your baby a strong start in life.
While pregnant, a nutritious, well-balanced eating plan can be one of the greatest gifts a woman can give to her developing baby. The food we eat on a daily basis affects how our bodies work, how we heal and grow, and how we maintain energy and strength for years to come. It also determines the basic nutritional health that our children are born with, and provides a model for their eating habits during childhood and beyond.
During pregnancy, there are some essential needs that have to be made available for proper development of the baby. A pregnant woman needs more calcium, folic acid, iron and protein than a woman who is not expecting, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Here is why these four nutrients are important;
⏺Folic acid , also known as folate when the nutrient is found in foods, is a B vitamin that is crucial in helping to prevent birth defects in the baby's brain and spinal cord, known as neural tube defects. Food sources includes leafy green vegetables, fortified or enriched cereals, breads and pastas, beans, citrus fruits.
⏺Calcium is a mineral used to build a baby's bones and teeth. If a pregnant woman does not consume enough calcium, the mineral will be drawn from the mother's stores in her bones and given to the baby to meet the extra demands of pregnancy , according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Many dairy products are also fortified with vitamin D, another nutrient that works with calcium to develop a baby's bones and teeth.
Pregnant women age 19 and over need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day; pregnant teens, ages 14 to 18, need 1,300 milligrams daily, according to ACOG. Food sources include milk, yogurt, cheese, calcium-fortified juices and foods, sardines or salmon with bones.
⏺Iron : Pregnant women need 27 milligrams of iron a day, which is double the amount needed by women who are not expecting, according to ACOG. Additional amounts of the mineral are needed to make more blood to supply the baby with oxygen. Getting too little iron during pregnancy can lead to anemia, a condition resulting in fatigue and an increased risk of infections.
To increase the absorption of iron, include a good source of vitamin C at the same meal when eating iron-rich foods. For example, have a glass of orange juice at breakfast with an iron-fortified cereal. Food sources include meat, poultry, fish, dried beans and peas, iron-fortified cereal.
⏺Protein : More protein is needed during pregnancy. Protein is described as "a builder nutrient," because it helps to build important organs in the baby, such as the brain and heart.
Food sources include meat, poultry, fish, dried beans and peas, eggs, nuts, tofu.

Nevertheless, after getting to know about these essential nutrients needed for the babies development, pregnant women should also take note of some foods or drinks they need to avoid. Some of them are;
⏺Alcohol: Alcohol in the mother's blood can pass directly to the baby through the umbilical cord. Heavy use of alcohol during pregnancy has been linked with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, a group of conditions that can include physical problems, as well as learning and behavioral difficulties in babies and children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
⏺Fish with high levels of mercury : Seafood such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy and tilefish are high in levels of methyl mercury, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and should be avoided during pregnancy. Methyl mercury is a toxic chemical that can pass through the placenta and can be harmful to an unborn baby's developing brain, kidneys and nervous system.

With this, it is clear that maternal nutrition during pregnancy can exert long-lasting effects on the health of the offspring. In light of the current epidemic of Type 2 diabetes and obesity, it is vital that the importance of diet during pregnancy is widely known and that the mechanisms by which it influences the long-term health of the offspring are understood. It is advised that nutritional services should be integrated into health care services. Existing programs that target women and children’s health should also be integrated, so that a woman can receive care for herself, her children, and nutritional supplementation during one visit or in one locale. These programs should be desired and supported by the community, and the community should have a say in the services provided through these programs.

REFERENCE
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).