Importance of taking nutritious food to the health of

both mother and foetus during pregnancy

A pregnant mother must eat and drink to provide nourishment
for the baby.Pregnant mother should consume more healthy
food as it provide the nutrients that the baby needs,such as
calcium that helps to make and keep bones and teeth strong.
Therefore, pregnant mother needs to take in more essential
nutrients than she did before.
On the other hand,pregnant mothers need to consume a
balanced diet which contains proteins, carbohydrates, fats,
vitamins, minerals, and plenty of water.

Here are some of the most common nutrients that

pregnant mothers need and the foods that contain
them:
Nutrient

Needed
for

Protein

cell growth
and blood
production

Best sources
lean meat, fish, poultry, egg whites,
beans, peanut butter, tofu

Carbohydra daily
tes
energy
production

breads, cereals, rice, potatoes, pasta,

fruits, vegetables

Calcium

strong
milk, cheese, yogurt, sardines or salmon
bones and with bones, spinach
teeth,
muscle
contraction
, nerve
function

Iron

red blood
cell
production
(to prevent
anemia)

lean red meat, spinach, iron-fortified

whole-grain breads and cereals

Vitamin A

healthy

carrots, dark leafy greens, sweet

skin, good
eyesight,
growing
bones

potatoes

Vitamin C

healthy
gums,
teeth, and
bones;
assistance
with iron
absorption

citrus fruit, broccoli, tomatoes, fortified

fruit juices

Vitamin B6

red blood
cell
formation;
effective
use of
protein, fat,
and
carbohydra
tes

ham, whole-grain cereals, bananas

Vitamin B12 formation

meat, fish, poultry, milk
of red
(Note: vegetarians who don't eat dairy
blood cells, products need supplemental B12.)
maintaining
nervous
system
health

Vitamin D

healthy

fortified milk, dairy products, cereals,

bones and
teeth; aids
absorption
of calcium

and breads

Folic acid

blood and
green leafy vegetables, dark yellow fruits
protein
and vegetables, beans, peas, nuts
production,
effective
enzyme
function

Fat

body
energy
stores

meat, whole-milk dairy products, nuts,

peanut butter, margarine, vegetable oils
(Note: limit fat intake to 30% or less of
your total daily calorie intake.)

Important nutrients
(a)Calcium
-Growing baby calcium demand are high,so pregnant mothers
must increase the intake of calcium to prevent loss of calcium
from the mother.
(b)Protein(Fish)

-Fish and shellfish can be an important part of a healthy diet.

They are a great source of protein and heart-healthy omega-3
fatty acids.
(c)Vitamins and minerals
-Pregnant mothers should ask their doctor before taking a
prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement every day to be sure
theyre getting enough of the nutrients for the baby needs.

-Women who are pregnant need more of these nutrients than

women who are not pregnant:
Nutrient
Folic acid

How much pregnant women need each day

400 to 800 micrograms (mcg) (0.4 to 0.8 mg) in
the early stages of pregnancy, which is why all
women who are capable of pregnancy should
take a daily multivitamin that contains 400 to
800 mcg of folic acid. Pregnant women should
continue taking folic acid throughout pregnancy.

Iron

27 milligrams (mg)

Calcium

1,000 milligrams (mg); 1,300 mg if 18 or younger

Vitamin A 770 micrograms (mcg); 750 mcg if 18 or younger

Vitamin
B12

2.6 micrograms (mcg)

(d) Vitamin D
-Women who are pregnant also need to be sure to get enough
vitamin D. The current recommendation for all adults younger
than 71 (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) is 600
international units (IU) of vitamin D each day.
-Vitamin D can be obtain through sunlight.
(e) Water
-A pregnant mother needs even more water to to stay hydrated
and to support the baby.
-Water also helps prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, excessive
swelling, and urinary tract or bladder infections.
-Pregnant mother should drink ten cups of fluids daily.

Effects of smoking on the foetus

A pregnant woman who smokes should quit smoking as soon as

she knows she is going to have a baby. Cigarette smoke can
cause complications to the mother during pregnancy, and
affect the health and development of the foetus,such as:
(a)Miscarriage risk:
-A woman who smokes during pregnancy is at a much higher
risk of having a miscarriage than a non-smoker. The risk of a

baby being born dead is also higher among women who smoke
during pregnancy.
-Will also leads to birth defects.
(b)Foetus Growth:
-Smoking by pregnant women causes a restriction of oxygen
and nutrients to a foetus. This restriction leads to babies being
born underweight and with all the associated risks of low birthweight babies.
(c)Carbon monoxide
-When a pregnant woman smokes, she exposes her baby to
harmful levels of carbon monoxide. This exposure leads to a
lack of oxygen in the blood and an overabundance of red blood
cells. Excess red blood cells can cause the blood of a baby to
become too thick, and the baby could die.
(d)Damage to brain and nerves
-Prenatal cigarette smoking can cause nerve and brain damage
to a foetus. Babies born to mothers who smoke may have
behavioral and learning problems.

The importance of avoiding the intake of substances

that are harmful to the foetus
Using alcohol and illegal drugs during pregnancy threatens the
healthof the foetus. So does using legal drugs in an
inappropriate way. When a pregnant mother use alcohol or
drugs, the chemicals enter the placenta and into the foetus.
This puts the foetus at risk for such problems as stillbirth, low
birth weight, birth defects, behavioral problems, and
developmental delays.
(a)Alcohol

- When you drink alcohol, so does your baby. Pregnant women

should not drink alcohol to eliminate the chance of giving birth
to a baby with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD
involves a range of harmful effects that can occur when a
foetus is exposed to alcohol. Children born with a severe form
of FASD can have abnormal facial features, severe learning
disabilities, behavioral problems, and other problems .
(b)Illegal drugs

-Crystal Meth(a type of drug) causes the heart rate of both the
mother and the baby to increase. Using meth in pregnancy can
cause preterm birth, placental abruption and miscarriage.
- Babies born to mothers that are addicted to meth often show
withdrawal symptoms after birth.

(c)Caffein

- Caffeine
can cross the human placenta, and
the caffeine concentration in the fetus can reach as high as the
mothers
-Caffeine can increase the heart rate and the blood pressure of
the foetus.
- Any amount of caffeine can also cause changes in your babys
sleep pattern or normal movement pattern in the later stages
of pregnancy.

Refrences
1)Science Form 3 textbook
2)www.Womens
health.gov(http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-arepregnant/staying-healthy-safe.html)
3)http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_center/your_pregnanc
y/preg_health.html
4) http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/caffeine.html
5)Google image search