Good Prenatal Nutrition Key To Healthy Baby
by Ralph E Halsey
http://www.rehnutrition.com
In early 2005, the Joslin Diabetes Center announced the
results of a research project studying the effects of poor
prenatal nutrition on developing babies. Researchers
deliberately fed a group of pregnant mice in their third
trimester a diet that was nutritionally deficient.
The implications of the study say more about prenatal
nutrition than they do about the causes of diabetes.
For generations, mothers warned their daughters about the
things they ate during pregnancy, relating stories about
children developing allergies to foods that were consumed
too often or other old wives' tales. Modern science turned
its nose up at the notion, instead fostering the belief that
no matter how poorly the mother ate, the growing fetus
wouldn't be affected. It was believed that the needed
nutrients would simply be taken from the mother's stores.
Research has shown that this simply isn't true. Now doctors
realize that deficiencies of most nutrients in the mother's
diet will result in deficiencies in the baby - deficiencies
that can lead to health problems even when the child is
grown and become an adult.
Diabetes is a case in point. The study done at Joslin found
that poor nutrition apparently damaged the fetus' pancreas
in utero. No amount of healthy eating after birth could
repair that damage.
Those extra calories shouldn't just be applied willy-nilly,
though. According to the American Dietetic Association, your
diet as a pregnant woman should include the following:
The best thing that you can do for your baby is to eat a
healthy, varied diet that will provide all the nutrients he
or she needs to grow right. According to nutritionists, your
body needs at least 200 extra calories daily to account for
the additional stresses that it's undergoing.
Based on that, the USDA recommends the following diet for
pregnant women:
If you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the
next six months, a visit to a nutritionist can help you work
out a healthy eating and supplement plan that will provide
your body with all the nutrition it needs to grow a healthy
baby. He or she can help you fit your favorite foods into a
balanced diet, and make suggestions that will improve your
overall health.
If you are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant in the
next few months, you should consult a dietition or other
nutrition specialist. They can get you started with a
healthy, nutritious eating plan that provides all the
nutrients that you and your growing baby need to get and
stay healthy.
Submit An Article
|
|
|
