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The Health Effects of Good and Poor Maternal Nutrition and Lifestyle

Feb 7, 2012 | By Angela Ogunjimi
The Health Effects of Good and Poor Maternal Nutrition and Lifestyle
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Following a nutritious eating regimen and maintaining a healthy lifestyle increase your chances of delivering a healthy baby. Pregnant mothers really are eating for two, or possibly more. That means you need additional calories and more of several nutrients, vitamins and minerals to help your developing baby. However, you should avoid overindulging and becoming completely inactive, unless you're on doctor's orders. In addition, you should add healthy habits, like prenatal care and connecting with your support network, to your lifestyle to ensure that you and baby get the appropriate care you need. Poor nutrition and an unhealthy lifestyle increase your risk of a pregnancy with complications and possible health consequences for your baby.

Macronutrients

Eating a well-balanced diet is arguably one of the most important responsibilities you take on when you decide to have a child. Think of it as a gift to the new addition to your family and a head-start on a healthy life. Pregnant women require more nutrients to support the pregnancy and maximize baby's health. You will need more carbohydrates, about 135 grams daily, reports the Institute of Medicine, and more protein, 0.88 grams for every kilogram of body weight. Some healthy fats are needed in greater supply too. The March of Dimes recommends that you consume more omega-3 fatty acids, at least 200 milligrams daily. Omega-3s support your baby's brain and eye development.

Vitamins, Minerals and Water

You'll also need more vitamins, particularly A and C. In addition, you'll need more of the entire B-complex, but especially important is folic acid, which protects against neural tube defects that can cause malformations in baby's spine, skull and brain. The Institute of Medicine notes that you'll also need more iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends more calcium and vitamin D. Don't forget the extra water. You'll need about 3 liters daily. Now that you're pregnant, the volume of blood coursing through your veins is dramatically increasing. Drinking water will support that process and also prevent common pregnancy issues like dehydration and constipation.

Calories and Weight

Expectant mothers need 300 extra calories daily, according to the American Pregnancy Association. You need to gain some weigh to support your baby and breast-feeding. However, eating too little and eating too much can pose threats to a healthy pregnancy. Not gaining enough weight can lead to premature delivery and a baby with underdeveloped lung and heart function. The American Pregnancy Association notes that 25 to 35 pounds in weight gain is optimal. Any more than that, and you'll have a tougher time taking the weight off. Obesity in pregnancy increases your risk of gestational diabetes, which in turn increases your child's risk of diabetes later. Overweight mothers also deliver more often through C-section, and a group of French researchers publishing in the May 2000 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" said that babies born to obese mothers have lower Apgar scores, are often born overweight and show a higher incidence of neural tube defects. They also are admitted to neonatal intensive units in higher rates and succumb more often to sudden infant death.

Physical Activity

Get your doctor's okay before engaging in a new exercise routine during pregnancy, but know that physical activity can be a healthy lifestyle choice during pregnancy. It'll provide you with more energy and help you sleep better. It'll also give you strength for labor and birth. In addition, it will improve circulation, which will help with varicose veins, hemorrhoids and swelling ankles and help with mood. However, avoid risky activities in which you may fall and be in high altitudes or underwater for long periods of time. At Experimental Biology 2011, researchers revealed new research suggesting that when you exercise in pregnancy, your baby participates too, growing stronger as a result. An April 13, 2011 article in the "New York Times" reported the effect is lasting; up to a month after delivery, babies of exercising moms had healthier hearts.

Unhealthy Lifestyle Factors

Smoking, drinking alcohol, caffeine addiction, overeating, inactivity and not treating depression are among the common unhealthy habits with which some pregnant mothers struggle. Smoking allows unhealthy, potentially cancer-causing chemicals, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, to pass through the placenta to your baby. Passing alcohol to baby ups the risk of a wide range of physical and mental birth defects, known collectively as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, reports the March of Dimes. That coffee habit will also affect your baby, according to the Emory University-run Maternal Substance Abuse and Child Development Study. Caffeine can accumulate and cause your baby to be noticeably jittery at birth because babies can't process caffeine as efficiently as adults.
It's also critical not to neglect your mental health during pregnancy. It's a time of great change and growing vulnerability. If you were being treated for depression before becoming pregnant, WomensHealth.gov advises you to stick with your treatment, including your medication. Stopping can make depression boomerang back around. Depression may also feed into your diet and exercise habits, so seek treatment if you haven't and make pregnancy a time to lean into your support network.

References

Article reviewed by Sharon Last updated on: Feb 7, 2012

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