Proper nutrition is of paramount importance during pregnancy. While you are pregnant you need to eat properly and take prenatal vitamins to maintain the health of you and your developing baby. Poor nutrition, especially deficiencies of vitamins and minerals, can cause serious health problems for both of you.
Fetal Development
Poor nutrition during pregnancy can cause major problems with a child's development. It increases the baby's risk of being unusually small at birth and of suffering from pre-term birth. Poor nutrition also increases the likelihood of stillbirth or the risk of blood-chemistry and breathing problems at birth, which can cause severe stress early in life. Low zinc levels can also cause unusually small babies and increase labor time.
Neural Tube Defects
A lack of folic acid during pregnancy increases the risk of a major birth defect known as a neural tube defect. Neural tube defects are problems with the development of the spinal cord and brain and include spina bifida. Women need 400 mg of folic acid each day before pregnancy and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. You can get folic acid in leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits and some fortified grains. However, because it can be hard to obtain adequate folic acid from diet alone, pregnant women should take a supplement.
Effects on Mother
Poor nutrition can also affect the health of the mother during pregnancy. Inadequate calcium intake will cause the fetus to leach calcium from the mother's bones, resulting in weak and brittle bones. Pregnant women over 19 need 1,000 mg of calcium and mothers under 19 need 1,300 mg per day while pregnant. In addition, iron deficiency during pregnancy can cause anemia, resulting in fatigue, pallor and weakness.
Epigenetic Changes
Epigenetics refers to the chemical modifications that occur with DNA, affecting the way the body interprets and utilizes DNA. A 2009 study by University of Utah researchers found that poor nutrition during pregnancy affects the epigenetics of rats, stunting their growth and increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, delayed development and obesity. The study suggests that the same effects may occur in humans.
References
- AskDrSears.com: Eating Right For Two
- Ohio State University Extension; Nutritional Needs of Pregnancy and Breastfeeding; 2009
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Nutrition During Pregnancy
- Physorg.com; The New "Epigenetics" --Poor Nutrition in the Womb Causes Permanent Genetic Changes in the Offspring; April 2009
