Pregnant Women & Foods For Fetal Brain Growth

Fetal brain development begins between the second and third week after conception, according to the book "The DANA Guide to Brain Health." Since most women don't know they are pregnant until they miss at least one period, your fetus's brain will often start developing before you know of its existence. Help promote healthy fetal brain development by consuming a varied diet packed full of nutrients.

Macronutrients

An inadequate intake of protein, carbohydrates or fats inhibits your fetus's brain development. Protein helps form synapses and neurotransmitters that allow neurons to communicate with each other. You give your fetus protein by consuming meat, poultry, fish, legumes, whole grains and soy. Fats are involved in the development of fetal cell membranes, nerve synapses and the myelin sheath that protects nerves. Focus on consuming unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish oil supplements, canola oil, flaxseed oil, walnuts, krill and soybean oil. Limit your intake of saturated fats found in fried foods, animal fats and butter. Carbohydrates provide your fetus with glucose, which is the only energy source the brain normally uses. Aim to consume mostly complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grains, fruits and vegetables to limit fluctuations in your blood pressure.

Micronutrients

A diet full of nutrients such as iron, zinc, copper and iodine also aid in fetal brain development. Iron, found in iron-fortified cereals, spinach, lentils and beef tenderloin, helps to produce cellular energy, neurotransmitters and myelin. Zinc-rich foods, such as Alaskan king crab, beef, tofu or yogurt with fruit, help your fetus release neurotransmitters and develop both the autonomic nervous system and the hippocampus in the brain. Copper, found in beef liver, mushrooms, barley and tomato puree, helps produce neurotransmitters and aids in the transference of nerve signals. Iodine-rich foods, such as cod, low-fat yogurt, iodized salt and baked potatoes with the skin, help develop the fetal nervous system and thyroid function.

Vitamins

Important vitamins for fetal brain development during pregnancy include choline, and B-complex vitamins. The B-complex vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, B-6 biotin, B-12 and folate, prevent neural tube birth defects and metabolize macronutrients. Increase the amount of B vitamins you consume by eating leafy green vegetables, fortified cereals, turkey, tuna, liver, lentils, whole grains, chili peppers, brewer's yeast and potatoes. Choline, found in eggs, pork, cod, liver and milk, helps your fetus produce neurotransmitters involved in memory storage and helps maintain the structural integrity of all cell membranes.

Considerations

Deficiencies of nutrients during different stages of pregnancy can cause damage to different parts of the fetal brain. For instance, the failure to consume adequate folate, often referred to as folic acid, during the first month of pregnancy may lead to serious birth defects, such as spina bifida, and damage to fetal brain structures. Failure to consume adequate amounts of B vitamins, protein and fats during the sixth and seventh months of gestation -- the stage when the fetus's cerebral cortex starts to develop -- may lead to deficiencies in personality or mental illness later in life, according to the book "The DANA Guide to Brain Health."