Pregnant women must not only maintain their own nutrition, but also meet the growth and development of the fetus and prepare nutritional reserves for delivery and breastfeeding. Especially for a fetus, which grows from a fertilized egg to about 3 kilograms, all the nutrients needed for its growth and development must be provided by the mother. The quality of maternal nutrition directly affects the nutritional status of the fetus.
Insufficient, excessive or unbalanced maternal nutritional intake will affect the growth and development of the fetus, such as causing low birth weight, hypertrophy, premature birth, congenital malformations, etc. Some malnutrition can also affect fetal brain development. In mild cases, brain dysfunction occurs, and in severe cases, brain tissue structure changes, leading to mental retardation after birth. Protein is particularly important for fetal nutrition, especially during the 12-18th week of pregnancy and the last three months of pregnancy to the first half of the year after the baby is born. Protein intake has a greater impact on the development of the fetus. Infant brain tissue. There are also nutrients such as iodine, iron, and zinc. Insufficient intake during pregnancy will affect the development of the fetus. In addition, iron deficiency in pregnant women will lead to insufficient iron reserves in the fetal liver, making the baby prone to anemia after birth; insufficient calcium intake during pregnancy may affect the development of fetal bones and teeth, and will also have certain effects on the regulation of fetal heart blood and the development of the nervous system. Influence.
The Duha theory believes that malnutrition or imbalance in the fetus can also lead to metabolic diseases in adulthood, such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc. Therefore, the prevention of chronic diseases should start from the fetal period.
Of course, more nutrition during pregnancy is not always better. Excessive nutritional intake will not only burden pregnant women, but may also cause pregnancy complications, such as obesity, overweight, gestational diabetes, etc., making delivery more difficult; and it is easy to become obese after birth.
Therefore, the diet of pregnant women is not about quantity, but about balance. Supplement various nutrients according to the needs of the fetus\’s own development, and pay special attention to the adequate intake of nutrients other than energy. This is crucial to the health of the expectant mother and the physical and mental development of the baby. However, many pregnant women are unable to obtain essential nutrients, including folic acid, calcium, iron, B vitamins, zinc, linolenic acid and linoleic acid (essential fatty acids) due to different pregnancy reactions or changes in dietary habits. In this case, it is necessary to supplement some nutrition during pregnancy. There are many kinds of nutritional supplements during pregnancy, and now some natural and organic ones are safer and more effective.