Baby's First Diet

Baby's First Diet
April 29, 2006

Evaluating nutritional habits is essential for pregnant women — what they consume during pregnancy determines the health of their baby, as well as affects their own health.

A pregnant woman's nutritional needs must shift to accommodate the nutritional needs of her baby. An increase of about 300 calories a day, for most women, is sufficient. Expected weight gain, for the duration of the pregnancy, is usually 25-40 pounds, but this can vary for underweight or overweight women. So, what are the best ways to get the most nutritional bang for the calorie buck?

A Healthy Diet for You and Your Baby
As countless studies have proven, a healthy diet and nutritional supplements have extremely positive effects on offspring. In addition to a varied and well-balanced diet, women can obtain nutrients from prenatal supplements.

Avoiding junk food, according to one study, is more than just a hackneyed recommendation. Indulging in unhealthy foods could lead to children with a higher susceptibility to disease, as indicated by animal-based studies by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1). Sodium should also be restricted to evade hypertension, a common pregnancy complication. And, too much sugar intake is linked to gestational diabetes.

Special considerations should be taken to eat a well-balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, lean protein and low-fat dairy. Fish with high mercury content should be avoided, particularly shark, swordfish and tuna (2).

Pregnant vegetarians and vegans should take extra care to ensure an adequate intake of iron, calcium, vitamin D, zinc and vitamin B 12, as these are all essential in forming a baby.

Prenatal Supplements
With all of the necessary nutrients to produce a healthy child, prenatal supplements are an easy way to get in some that are missing from a diet. Here are a few nutrients that are especially important for infant development.

Folic Acid. A daily prenatal vitamin of 400 to 600 micrograms of folic acid should be included in a pregnant woman's regimen. Folic acid helps to prevent neural tube defects (3) and was found to reduce risk of preeclampsia—pregnancy-induced hypertension—by 63% (4).

Fish Oil. In a recent study, women who took fish oil supplements while pregnant were found to improve the hand-eye coordination of their children, who performed better on tests in all areas of development (5). Fish oil supplements appear to be invaluable, as they benefit infant development without the hazards of dietary sources ofomega-3 fatty acids. For example, the methylmercury in some fish directly attacks the brain and nervous system of an unborn fetus, making fish oil a safer bet (1). In addition to improved motor function, mothers who take fish oil supplements have a lower risk ofpost-partum depression and recover more quickly after pregnancy. Their children also had higher scores for comprehension, average phrase length and vocabulary, reports one study that took place in the Netherlands (6). The necessity ofomega-3 fatty acids is one of the lesser known among pregnant women, making it an important addition to the repertory of expectant mothers (7).

Calcium. A prenatal vitamin should contain about 1,000 milligrams of calcium to protect the mother and child's bones and teeth (3). But to get all of the calcium a pregnant woman needs, a diet rich in the mineral combined with supplements work to provide an adequate amount.

Basic Vitamins. About 2.2 to 2.6 micrograms of vitamin B12 are necessary for proper infant development. Expectant mothers who follow a strict vegetarian diet should take an extra precaution that they include the vitamin in their prenatal supplements to avoid permanent neurological damage to the fetus.

Other key nutrients include vitamin A (for healthy skin, bone growth and eyesight), vitamin C (for healthy gums, teeth, and bones), vitamin B6 (helps produce red blood cells and helps the body use fat, protein and carbohydrates), according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) on www.acog.org.

Iron. Iron is needed to carry oxygen through the mother and child's blood. To reap the benefits, expectant mothers should take a supplement with 18 to 27 milligrams of iron daily (3). Iron also is a key to preventing anemia, which can result in premature birth and low birth weight.

Post-Delivery
New moms wishing to breastfreed also must pay close attention to eating a nutritious diet and taking the proper supplements. Every woman is different and should consult her doctor, but ACOG recommends consuming an extra 500 calories every day, taking calcium supplements (1,000 mg), eliminating foods that may give the baby a food allergy and drinking eight glasses of liquid daily. WF

References
1. J. Arehart-Treichel, "Mother's Diet and Child's Health," Science News, 106 (7), 106(1974).
2. M. Nestle, What To Eat, (North Point Press, 2007).
3. J.E. Brody, "Dispelling Pregnancy Myths: Eating for 1.5," The New York Times, July 24, 2007.
4. S.W. Wen et al., "Folic Acid Supplementation in Early Second Trimester and the Risk ofPre-Eclampsia," Am. J. Obst. Gyn. 198, (1), 45.el-45.e7 (2008).
5. N. Bakalar, "Fish Oil for Mom May Benefit Her Child," The New York Times, January 2, 2007.
6. E.C. Bakker et al., "Relationship Between Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids at Birth and Motor Function at 7 Years of Age," Eur. J. of din. Nutr. Dec. 19, 2007 [Epub ahead of print].
7. M.P. Judge, 0. Harel and C.J. Lammi-Keefe, "Maternal Consumption of a Docosahexaenoic Acid-Containing Functional Food During Pregnancy: Benefit for Infant Performance on Problem-Solving but not on Recognition Memory Tasks at Age 9 Mo," Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 85 (6), 152-157 (2007).