NEW APPROACH IN MATERNAL NUTRITION

The term ‘maternal nutrition’ focuses attention on women as mothers, on their nutritional status as it
relates to bearing and nurturing of children. Maternal nutrition comprises anthropometric factors such
as pre-pregnancy weight for height and gestational weight gain, as well as intake of protein and
micronutrients. Changes During Pregnancy Period During pregnancy, body goes through emotional and
physiological changes. Major three changes occur during pregnancy period. This are Physiological
changes, Gastrointestinal changes and Changes in body fluid. Maternal physiological changes in
pregnancy are the normal adaptions that a woman undergoes during pregnancy to better accommodate
the embryo or fetus. They are physiological changes, that is, they are entirely normal and include
cardiovascular, hematologic, metabolic, renal and respiratory changes. Physiological changes are
Hormonal Changes Pregnant women experience numerous adjustments in their endocrine system. Level
of progesterone and estrogens rise continually throughout pregnancy. Estrogen is mainly produced by
the placenta. Estrogen maintains progesterone production by the corpus lutenin. Body weight is one of
the most noticeable alterations in pregnancy is the gain in weight. The enlarging uterus, the growing
fetus, the placenta, the acquisition of fat and water retention, all contribute to this increase in weight. 5
Breast size A women breast’s grow during pregnancy. Once lactation begins, the women breast swell
significantly and can feel achy, lumpy and heavy. Cardiovascular During the course of pregnancy, blood
volume slowly increases by 40- 50%. It results in an increase in heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac.
Hematology During pregnancy the plasma volume increases by 50% and RBC volume increases only by
20-30%. Edema or swelling of the feet is common during pregnancy, partly because the enlarging uterus
compresses veins and lymphatic drainage from the legs. 6 BMR Fetal growth and development increase
the BMR by 5% during 1st trimester and 12% during 2nd and 3rd trimester. This increases the total
energy requirement. Nutritional Requirement During Pregnancy 10 Essential fatty acids: The EFAs
linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic acid (omega-3) are necessary for optimal formation of the brain and
eyes. RDA: Omega-6 13 g/day and 1.4 g/day omega-3 Fiber: It is important for prenatal diet. Pregnant
women need 28 g/day. Carbohydrate: Dietary carbohydrate is broken-down to form glucose, also known
as blood sugar. The RDA for carbohydrate during pregnancy is 175g/day. Vitamin A RDA for pregnant
women is 770 micro gram per day Vitamin D RDA for pregnant women is 5 micro gram per day Calcium
RDA for pregnant women is 1 g/day B Vitamins RDA for pregnant women is 770 micro gram per day
Nutritional Requirement During Pregnancy. B Vitamins B1: RDA for pregnant women is +0.2 mg/day B2:
RDA for pregnant women is +0.2 mg/day B3: RDA for pregnant women is 2 mg/day B6: RDA for pregnant
women is 2.5 mg/day B12: RDA for pregnant women is 2.6 micro gram per day Vitamin C: RDA is 60
mg/day Folate: In preconception and early pregnancy 400 micro gram per day is recommended Iron:
RDA is 27 mg/day Magnesium: Most prenatal vitamins contain only 10% to 25% of the RDA for
magnesium Nutritional Requirement During Pregnancy. Supplementation Iron and folic acid are the
major supplement during pregnancy. Iron: During pregnancy iron is essential for fetal growth. Having
anemia can cause a baby to be born too small or too early. One should start taking a low dose iron
supplement when became first prenatal appointment. Folic acid: Folic acid is important for pregnancy,
as it can help to prevent birth defects known as neural tube defects, including spina bifida.