If you are HIV positive and expecting, both you and your child in all likelihood can have the chance to survive and even thrive during and beyond the pregnancy. While boosting mothers' health, anti-retroviral drugs can prevent transmission of the virus to their unborn babies. Good nutrition, including vitamin and mineral supplementation, can also be of great benefit. Ask your doctor or nutritionist about your dietary needs during and after pregnancy, including recommended vitamin and mineral intakes.
Vitamins and Minerals During Pregnancy
According to the March of Dimes, most pregnant women and their babies benefit from both healthy, well-balanced diets and prenatal supplements that contain the recommended daily amounts of most vitamins and minerals and extra amounts of folic acid, calcium and iron. The March of Dimes also recommends 200 mg daily supplementation with the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and cautions that more than 5,000 international units of vitamin A daily can cause prenatal disabilities.
Vitamins, Minerals and HIV
According to studies summarized by the global HIV/AIDS charity AVERT, people with HIV may be more vulnerable to deficiencies of some vitamins and minerals, including iron, selenium, zinc and vitamins A, C, B-12 and D. Anti-retrovirals may help relieve such deficiencies. While multivitamin supplementation is recommended for many people with HIV and research supports this measure, evidence regarding the effects of specific vitamins and minerals on HIV/AIDS tends to be mixed or lacking as of 2011. However, megadoses of vitamins or minerals have no established therapeutic effects and indeed may cause harm. For example, megadoses of vitamin C can hinder the action of some anti-retrovirals.
Supplementation During HIV Positive Pregnancy
In a study from Tanzania published in February 2010 in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," multivitamins providing the recommended daily allowances decreased poor health outcomes for HIV positive pregnant women and their babies. As of 2011, the World Health Organization had not determined that HIV positive pregnant women in general need supplemental vitamins and minerals beyond the requirements specified for pregnant women in general. However, individual circumstances vary, so ask your doctor what particular prenatal supplements in which amounts can best help you meet your vitamin and mineral needs. Learn what other nutritional practices you should follow, such as increases in protein and calorie consumption. Always inform your doctor about any supplements or "alternative" medical treatments you are taking.
Affording Health Care, Food and Prenatal Supplements
Many countries' governmental health and social welfare systems help HIV positive pregnant women meet their medical and other needs. If you are in the U.S., visit the "Paying for HIV Care" page at WomensHealth.gov. In many states, Medicaid covers doctor-prescribed prenatal vitamins, as do some private health plans. If you have to pay for vitamins out-of-pocket, cheaper generic or synthetic formulations may have the same quality as brand-name or "natural" ones. Learn more about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also called food stamps, and WIC, or Women Infants and Children from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website.
References
- AVERT: HIV and Nutrition
- March of Dimes: Vitamins and Minerals During Pregnancy
- Mother and Child Nutrition: Nutrition in the Context of HIV
- Toronto Hospital for Sick Children: MotherRisk: HIV Treatment in Pregnancy
- United States Department of Agriculture: Nutrition Assistance Programs
- WomensHealth.gov: Paying for HIV Care
Member Comments