HEALTHY PREGNANCY

Pregnancy demands optimum nutrition for the health of both the mother-to-be and the developing child.  Because nature favors the fetus, whatever nutrients the fetus needs will be taken from the mother.  Thus, a poor diet can adversely affect the mother’s health, and a serious nutritional deficiency can affect the child’s development.  It is critically important for a pregnant woman to insure that she gets superior nutrition.

Consider just a few of the increased nutritional demands created by a full term pregnancy: protein needs jump from 44 grams a day to 74 grams, requirements for the entire B-Complex increases significantly, the need for iron rises from 18 mg. a day to 30-60 mg., calcium increases from 800 mg. to 1200 mg. a day. An increasing number of obstetricians are paying more attention to these elevated nutritional needs and are recommending their patients at least take a multivitamin/multimineral supplement.  Ironically, however, most prenatal supplements fail to provide all the nutrients a pregnant woman may require. In one study, 19 leading prenatal supplements were examined.  Seventeen of the nineteen provided only 30 percent or less of the RDA.  Inadequate nutrition during pregnancy can undermine the present and future health of both mother and child.  Clearly there is an urgent need to consider supplementation during this critical time. Dr. Bruce Miller recommends a quality protein supplement, a good multivitamin/mineral, extra B-complex, adequate calcium, and an iron supplement containing vitamin C for better absorption.

LACTATION

Almost all leading medical authorities agree that breast feeding is the best source of nourishment for an infant.  Yet, the quality of human milk can vary considerably.  A mother’s health and her vitamin and mineral intake will affect the nutritional quality of the milk she produces.Lactation demands even greater levels of nutrition than pregnancy.  Of the 18 or so nutrients that probably should be increased in pregnancy, eight must be increased even more for lactation.  Mothers whose dietary intake is limited may produce milk low in vitamins A,C and numerous members of the B-complex.  Dr. Miller recommends adding an EPA supplement that contains docosahexaenoic acid (D.H.A.).  This fatty acid is vital to developing nerve tissue in your baby.Poor nutrition in pregnancy or lactation can have last effects on a child’s development and health.  If you choose to supplement your diet, shop for quality.  This is a crucial period in your child’s life and a time to pay special attention to optimum nutrition.
All information obtained from Dr. Bruce B. Miller’s Better Health Series, Women:  Special Nutritional Needs.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, June 24th, 2007 at 8:27 am and is filed under health, nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.