FOOD AND NUTRITION DURING PREGNANCY

It is important for a pregnant woman to eat a healthy diet. She has to eat a variety of foods, including dairy products and several fruits and vegetables which contribute to a healthy pregnancy. Some specific nutritional needs for pregnancy include:

Folic acid (also called folate or Vitamin B₉) is strongly needed at the start of pregnancy. Folic acid is needed for the closing of fetus neural tube. It thus helps prevent spina bifida, a very serious birth defect. Folates (from folia, leaf) are abundant in spinach (fresh, frozen or canned), and are also found in green vegetables, salads, melon, and eggs. In the United States and Canada, most wheat products (flour, noodles) are supplemented with folic acid.

Calcium and iron are particularly needed by the rapidly growing fetus. Pregnant women should eat enough dairy products (for calcium) and red meat (for iron) if they are not lactose intolerant. Women who do not eat dairy or meat can obtain calcium and iron from soy milk and juice, soybeans, and certain leafy greens. Care providers may prescribe iron pills if pregnant women develop iron deficiency anemia. Calcium is effective only if women also obtain enough vitamin D. The best way to get vitamin D is to sunbathe each day for 10-15 minutes. Salmon and fatty fishes are also good sources of vitamin D.

Fluoride helps to build strong teeth by changing the nature of calcium crystals: if water or salt does not contain fluoride, it is wise to take fluoride mini-pills at the end of pregnancy and during breast-feeding (but high doses are toxic). Some pregnant women suffer edema, and are told not to eat (too much) salt.

Fat (from salmon, trout, tuna, herring,sardine, mackerel, and some chicken eggs) is needed to build neuron membranes. Thus fatty fish intake during pregnancy may provide nutrition for proper brain and retina development of the fetus. However, large fish such as tuna and swordfish may contain too much toxic mercury. Fish two or three times a week seems to bring enough good fat, but not too much mercury.