Your Diet Matters for a Healthy Birth Outcome

Pregnancy is no doubt an exciting and rewarding journey but it is understandable that you may worry about how much food to consume while carrying your growing baby. 

QUALITY AND QUANTITY
Well, even though the amount of food you eat matters during pregnancy, research shows that what you eat is also critical for your baby’s birth and growth outcomes too. Without an optimal diet during pregnancy, the lack of nutrients will affect foetal growth and your baby’s weight at birth, as well as increase your risk of developing pregnancy complications. With all that said, do you think you are consuming a healthy diet during your pregnancy?

WHY YOUR DIET MATTERS
A healthy diet during pregnancy impacts your baby’s health in both the short and long term.

BIRTH WEIGHT
Poor maternal nutritional status can lead to a baby being born too small (< 2.5kg) or too large (> 4.5kg), resulting in detrimental effects on the baby’s immunity and cognitive development. It also increases the baby’s risk of developing chronic diseases in the future.

COMPLICATIONS
If you overeat during pregnancy, the resulting excessive weight gain can increase your risk of gestational diabetes and hypertension.

NUTRITIONAL FOUNDATION FOR BABY
While in the womb, babies require more than 40 nutrients, including iron, folate, calcium and vitamin D. These nutrients help to establish a strong foundation for healthy growth beyond the infant years.

Apart from delivering the right amount of calories, a balanced and nutritious diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding is necessary as your baby needs sufficient (and the right) nutrients to develop healthily in the womb and beyond. To ensure you are getting enough nutrients, scientifically formulated maternal milk can be considered to supplement the diet*.

Article contributed by Abbott. Stay tuned to the next issue of My Alvernia Magazine for Part 2 of this article.

This article is taken from our My Alvernia Magazine Issue #35. Click here to read the issue on our website or on Magzter.