How Can Lack Of Nutrition In Pregnant Women Lead To Child Stunting?

"The mother needs to eat for two is wrong", states Clinical Dietitian Nabanita Saha. Check Out These 6 Essential Nutrients During Pregnancy

Good nutrition is an integral part of our daily lives. And when you are thinking about getting pregnant or already pregnant, it plays a significant role in the development and health of your baby and affects the long-term health of your baby after birth. During pregnancy, the mother is expected to gain around 11-14 kgs of weight in her entire pregnancy. And for that, she needs to take an additional 350 kcal and approximately 18 grams of protein per day.

Chief Clinical Dietitian Nabanita Saha, Manipal hospital, Old Airport Road shares that the saying that the mother needs to eat for two is wrong. She only needs to add some more calories for a healthy weight gain. Besides calories and protein, there will be additional requirements for essential nutrients like folic acid, iron, calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, omega fatty acids, and the right amount of carbohydrates.

6 Essential Nutrients During Pregnancy

• Folic acid is essential during the early stages of pregnancy to avoid any neural tube defect, cleft palate, or cardiac defects in babies and requires around 400 mg daily. One can have it by taking spinach, broccoli, green beans, leafy vegetables, legumes, etc.
• The second essential nutrient is iron. Blood volume increase during pregnancy can result in a decrease in haemoglobin. So the mother needs to include iron-rich food in her diet, like green leafy vegetables, meat, tofu, dates, raisins, etc.

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• The following essential nutrient is calcium. It is needed to develop fetal bones and is found in dairy products like milk, cheese, curd, cottage cheese, etc. The mother needs around 1200 mg of calcium per day.
• Finally, for the better absorption of calcium, she needs vitamin D. One can naturally take it by exposing oneself to sunlight.
• Besides the above nutrient, vitamin A is essential for the baby's healthy development. Vitamin A is found in all yellow-orange colour fruits & vegetables like oranges, mango, yellow pumpkin, carrots, tomatoes, etc.
• Finally, the essential nutrient is omega fatty acids like DHA for the baby's healthy brain development. The source is fatty fish, walnuts, and flax seeds.

Conclusion

For the baby's development and to ensure the baby doesn't have any spectacular growth, it is essential that the mother includes the above nutrients in the right amount in her diet and also takes her prenatal supplements regularly.