Nutritional Needs for Early Pregnancy and Infancy

Nutritional Needs for Early Pregnancy and Infancy

Vicki Lieu

SCI/241

May 08, 2015

Diana Layne

Nutritional Needs for Early Pregnancy and Infancy

Nutrition is imperative to every single pregnant woman because she has to eat and increase calories daily for the fetus to remain healthy conditions (Frances & Picciano, 2003). The proper way to balance the nutritional needs of the baby is to know the right amount of nutrients intake to meet the recommendations. Pregnant women cannot have insufficient protein, nutrients, or energy while they are in delicate stages because it may lead to risky situations such as illness or disease. During forty weeks of gravidity, a woman produces vulnerable newborn needs a long period of nurture. A healthy pregnancy generates active baby who will become vigorous children and more youthful adult in the future.  

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Women who are pregnant require obtaining nutritional needs for a developing embryo and fetus because it is an essential part of gravidity and fetal changes relating to three trimester periods. During the first trimester stage, the fetus heart and brain are trying to growth; therefore, intake vitamins B6 and vitamins A are crucial to developing a healthy baby. In addition, vitamins B6 stimulate brain development and vitamins A help the child to enlarge strong bones, eyes, and teeth. The iron substance can aid fetus blood cell to expand, and fiber gives the baby energy and reduces constipation for the mother. For second trimester stage, pregnancy women must increase their calories to 2,500 a day because the fetus begins to cultivate limbs and nervous system. Vitamin C is demanding for this period due to the development of collagen and increasing vitamin D intake to support healthy bone growth for the baby. The last trimester phase, you must stay hydrated because this stage the fetus inside can lead you to overheat and dehydrate very quickly. For this reason, it can be risky for the baby; thus, make sure drinking a lot of water daily is highly recommended. Increasing to 2,500 calories per day is beneficial to the fetus; however, women need to focus more on proteins because it provides baby requirements and the mother desires protein for energy. Proteins contain Omega-3 fatty acids support baby face, brain, and eye improvement; therefore, it is helpful when the baby is in rapid growing stages.

It is critical that a woman increases her weight while she is pregnant because the amount gained will effect on her child. A normal-weight pregnancy should gain 25 to 35 pounds approximately 11 to 16 kg during gravidity. An underweight woman must increase up to 40 pounds about 18 kg. Women who are overweight should gain 15 to 25 pounds approximately 7 to 11 kg. For obese women, she needs increasing only 11 to 20 pounds about five to nine kg.[pic 2]

Gravidity women who associated with poor nutrition during the gestation period are experiencing maternal morbidity and having highly dangerous of adverse pregnancy outcomes. They may be increasing risk factors of getting anemia, contagion, lethargy and faintness, and lower productivity. Inadequate nutrition in pregnancy can have varied of detrimental effects, and low birth weight relates fetus development and newborn baby. Additionally, low birth weight of the fetus can increase the risk of brain damage, birth defects, respiratory and circulatory disorders, premature birth, and perinatal mortality on the baby.

In the first stage of pregnancy, a gravidity is experiencing to maternal malnutrition may increase the risk of overweight and coronary heart disorder. During the second and third period, a woman who is associating with malnutrition will develop negative glucose metabolism issues. For example, high in carbohydrate, starches, sugars, and sodium intake can create many unhealthy problems to the fetus and the mother at the same time. In other hand, adding calories consumption to 2,500 daily including protein and fiber can lower constipation and increase energy during pregnancy and enhance the baby development.

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According to the report, breastfeeding is the best method that a mother can provide for a healthy child, and it is no cost and convenient at all time.  Breast milk is an antibody and contains white blood cells; additionally, it can prevent colds, ear infections, and other sicknesses that have not built up during the first essential months. Breastfeeding aid decreases the dangerous of SIDS, childhood obesity, allergies, leukemia, and meningitis and reduces respiratory corruptions and diabetes in babies. The doctors are highly recommending that mother breastfeed the baby in early stages, so she can pass immunities to her child; however, this is also crucial to premature babies. Breast milk has less colic and diarrhea and prevents from having diaper rash and easy to digest than formula-feeding because proteins in formula-feeding can give the baby stomach harder to assimilate. Studies suggest that breastfeeding may help with intellectual development, higher IQs, and faster enlargement. The breast milk will change depending on the foods that mother eats; moreover, it makes easier for the baby to accept new foods in the future.

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