Are you worried about
nutritional deficiencies that may affect the development of your baby during
your pregnancy?
If your answer is YES,
then don’t miss reading this article! We will help you find out what vitamins
and minerals do you need to keep you and your baby healthy throughout your
pregnancy.
Importance Of Women’s
Health During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a critical period in a woman’s life where a
drastic change in your nutritional needs occur. Mostly, your requirements for
certain vitamins and minerals increase during this period to cope up with the
changes in your body and biological processes. If you don’t meet these
nutritional requirements, you will be suffering from nutritional deficiencies
that might put you and your baby into a higher risk at having debilitating
health problems.
You need to stay healthy during pregnancy because your
baby’s health depends on how healthy you are. The growth and development of
your baby is highly dependent on what you eat, your health practices, lifestyle
and everything that you do to your own health.Besides, keeping yourself healthy
whether you are pregnant or not is for your own wellbeing. Moreover, nutritional
deficiency among pregnant women increases the risk for their babies to:
·
develop birth defects and congenital anomalies
(i.e. cleft lip, cleft palate, limb malformation, congenital cardiovascular
malformations/ heart defect,spina bifida)
·
low birth weight
·
premature delivery
·
miscarriage
·
mental retardation
To keep you guided with your nutritional requirements during
pregnancy, here is a list of the top three vitamins and minerals that you
definitely need during this critical period.
Top 3 Vitamins and
Minerals You Critically Need During Pregnancy
1.
Iron
Iron is a significant mineral during pregnancy because this
mineral supports the growth and development of your baby and the placenta,
which supplies nutrients and oxygen to your baby, as well as removes wastes and
carbon dioxide from your baby’s body system. Taking adequate iron during
pregnancy protects you against post-partum (after giving birth) anemia too. It
helps you provide sufficient iron to your breastfeeding infant as well.
Pregnant women are required to take 27mg of iron each day.
This is a bit higher than the recommended dietary allowance for non-pregnant
women, which is between 15-18 mg/day.
If your iron intake is lower than the recommended dietary
allowance (RDA), you will develop a nutritional deficiency called Iron Deficiency Anemia. Iron helps in
red blood cell (RBC) formation and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the
different parts of your body. If you have an iron deficiency, you will likely
experience body fatigue, dizziness or lightheadedness, pale skin, shortness of
breath, palpitations (loud, pounding heartbeat), and frequent headaches.
The worst of all is iron-deficiency anemia causes an average
of 115,000 maternal deaths per year. And forty-two percent (42%) of pregnant
women worldwide have this nutritional deficiency, according to the World Health
Organization.
If you have iron deficiency during your pregnancy, you are
increasing your risk to deliver a low birth weight infant. It might result in
premature delivery too, and the worst case is a stillbirth.
2. Folate / Folic
Acid
It is critical to have adequate folate/ folic acid intake
during pregnancy because this vitamin is primarily needed for the metabolism of
nucleic acid (components of the DNA and RNA) and amino acid. It has a
significant role in the developmental growth of the fetus.
The recommended dietary intake of folate among pregnant
women is 60 mcg/day while synthetic sources would be between300 mcg/day – 353 mcg/day
depending on your doctor’s recommendation and based on your current health
status.
Insufficient folate intake results in Folic Acid Deficiency
Anemia. Similar to iron, folate aids in the red blood cell formation. Thus,
anemia related to folate deficiency will manifest signs and symptoms of anemia
similar to that of Iron deficiency. It also increases your risk of becoming
hypertensive (high blood pressure) throughout your pregnancy; a condition
called preeclampsia.
However, lowfolate intake has detrimental effects on your
baby during pregnancy. It is the most common cause of birth defects like cleft
palate, cleft lip, and limb malformations. Folate deficiency can also lead to
congenital (inborn) anomalies including spina bifida and heart defects. It can
also cause low birth weight among newborn babies or you might have a stillbirth
or premature delivery.
Iodine is among the top three nutrients that are essential
during pregnancy. It is required for sufficient thyroid hormone production, a
hormone that is necessary for the formation of myelin sheath around the nerve
fibers of the central nervous system. Therefore, Iodine is vitalfor the normal
brain development of your baby.
Pregnant women are required to take in around 220mcg of
iodine per day. This is forty-five percent (45%) higher than that of the iodine
requirement for non-pregnant women, which is 150 mcg/day.
Iodine deficiency among pregnant women can cause maternal
hypothyroidism, a condition by which the thyroid glands are not producing
sufficient thyroid hormones. This hormonal problem is manifested by
constipation, hair loss, dry skin, fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, muscle
and joint pain, memory problems, goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland),
unexplained weight gain or weight loss difficulty, depression, and slow heart
rate.
Moreover, iodine deficiency may also cause congenital
hypothyroidism in infants. This congenital hypothyroidism is the primary cause
of cretinism in children. Cretinism is a condition by which a child may become
physically or mentally retarded. Some children with cretinism have short
stature and are deaf too.
Keep in mind that you have the power to protect your baby
from some congenital diseases and other health problems by being mindful of
your nutritional intake. Sometimes food sources aren’t enough to meet your
vitamins and mineral requirements, particularly during pregnancy, a
metabolically demanding period.So, check some reliable and safe vitamin and
mineral supplementsthat you may take. Check the references below for more
details.
Reference:
