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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 results? The majority of babies born to the mice that
had been malnourished developed diabetes on reaching
adulthood. This was true even though the baby mice all were
fed diets high in nutrition, and quickly caught up with the
mice in the control group. Low birth weight has been a known
risk factor for adult diabetes for many years, but Dr.
Patti's research drew a clear link between prenatal
nutrition and the development of diabetes in later life.
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.
The Joslin study is one more bit of evidence that it's
simply not true. Poor nutrition during pregnancy can have
serious, long-lasting effects on your baby's health -effects
that sometimes don't show up until adulthood.
So what's an expectant mother to do? The answer is simple:
make sure that your body is getting the proper nutrition
throughout your pregnancy. Nutritionists at the American
Dietetic Association recommend eating about 300 calories
more per day while you're pregnant. They offer these diet
guidelines for pregnant women:
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:
7 or more servings of fruit and vegetables 9 or more
servings of whole grains, rice or pasta 4 or more servings
of dairy, milk, yogurt or cheese 2 or more servings of
protein - fish, eggs, meat or nuts At least 400 mcg f folic
acid (vitamin B) Low dose iron supplements A good
multivitamin At least 6 8 ounce glasses of water a day.
Most nutritionists and doctors also agree that the North
American diet doesn't provide adequate amounts of some key
nutrients. That's why most doctors will prescribe a prenatal
vitamin that provides extra iron and folic acid, both of
which are vital for your healthy pregnancy and your baby's
development.
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.
Don't take any chances with your baby's health. What you eat
now can affect him for a lifetime. Make sure that your diet
gives him or her everything that his body needs to be
healthy.
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