It is vitally important for a mother-to-be to ensure a constant supply of micronutrients for her developing child. While the early days and weeks of pregnancy – when a woman may not even be aware she is pregnant – are critical for fetal development, inadequate nourishment during any phase of pregnancy can affect the baby’s organ systems, birth weight, and even survival.
In addition to the higher caloric demands, pregnancy also increases the need for specific micronutrients which may not be met through diet alone. In this respect, vitamin C, lysine, proline, and the B group of vitamins, among others, are particularly important for a healthy baby and for preventing complications during pregnancy and delivery. A woman’s requirement for some minerals can increase by more than 50 percent while she is pregnant.
Towards the goal of cost-effectively saving lives and reducing lifelong disabilities, research in Bangladesh and Burkina Faso has shown that supplementing with multiple micronutrients during pregnancy offers additional benefits compared to standard recommendations for only iron and folic acid to be taken. With micronutrient deficiencies now known to be common in pregnant women, this advice makes sense. Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy, in particular, has been described as a “worldwide epidemic.”
To learn more about the importance of micronutrients during pregnancy, read parts one and two of the special pregnancy feature article on our website.
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Researchers have conducted a large study of over 1,700 women aged 18–38 in the UK, Singapore, and New Zealand. They studied the women’s health before, during and after pregnancy. Before pregnancy, they found that nine in ten of the women had low blood levels of many important vitamins, including folic acid, riboflavin, vitamin B12, and vitamin D.
[Source: medicalxpress.com]
[Image source: Adobe Stock]
Comment
It is vitally important for a mother-to-be to ensure a constant supply of micronutrients for her developing child. While the early days and weeks of pregnancy – when a woman may not even be aware she is pregnant – are critical for fetal development, inadequate nourishment during any phase of pregnancy can affect the baby’s organ systems, birth weight, and even survival.
In addition to the higher caloric demands, pregnancy also increases the need for specific micronutrients which may not be met through diet alone. In this respect, vitamin C, lysine, proline, and the B group of vitamins, among others, are particularly important for a healthy baby and for preventing complications during pregnancy and delivery. A woman’s requirement for some minerals can increase by more than 50 percent while she is pregnant.
Towards the goal of cost-effectively saving lives and reducing lifelong disabilities, research in Bangladesh and Burkina Faso has shown that supplementing with multiple micronutrients during pregnancy offers additional benefits compared to standard recommendations for only iron and folic acid to be taken. With micronutrient deficiencies now known to be common in pregnant women, this advice makes sense. Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy, in particular, has been described as a “worldwide epidemic.”
To learn more about the importance of micronutrients during pregnancy, read parts one and two of the special pregnancy feature article on our website.
Dr. Rath Health Foundation
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