One thing that is synonymous with pregnancy is food cravings and an often increased emphasis on eating well. More and more new research is revealing that what women eat 
during pregnancy can have lasting effects on the baby’s health. While that drastic increase in appetite is certainly indicative of eating for two, health experts explain foods should be chosen wisely.
The Daily Monitor reports that while most expecting women are advised to maintain a healthy diet during pregnancy; food cravings as well as aversions tend to get in the way. During the first trimester, many mums to be feel nauseous and even the smell of certain foods can ruin an appetite for several hours.
Unfortunately some of the food aversions are to foods that provide a great deal of nutrients for mothers and their developing fetuses. A researcher for The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and attendee at the recent nutritional congress states that maternal nutrition during pregnancy directly impacts the health of the offspring.
The effects of maternal nutrition on the child can be both direct and indirect. Mothers with poor nutrition are prone to have infants born of low birth weight. Being born low birth weight can have lasting complications as those babies are born with a greater propensity towards disease states such as heart disease, developmental disabilities, and diabetes. These health implications also add a serious financial burden on the family.
What You Can Do
Expecting women are advised to eat a well balanced diet rich in whole grains, ample protein foods like lean meats and eggs as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables. A few vital nutrients during pregnancy are iron, calcium, folic acid, and vitamin C which are often found in the prenatal vitamins your physician prescribes but eating food sources of these nutrients is also a good idea. As always, be sure to discuss any questions or concerns with your physician and maintain regular check ups throughout pregnancy.
Tags: pregnancy
This entry was posted
on Friday, February 27th, 2009 at 9:29 am and is filed under Baby Development.
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