According to the WHO, Maternal health refers
Eat small, frequent meals and eliminate
to the health of women during pregnancy,
childbirth and the postnatal period. Each stage
should be a positive experience, ensuring
women and their babies reach their full
potential for health and well-being. And one of
the ways to have a positive experience by
nutrition interventions.
The 3 most common complaints during
pregnancy are CHN, Constipation, Heartburn,
and Nausea and vomiting.
Constipation
POSSIBLE CAUSES
1. Relaxation of gastrointestinal (GI)
muscle tone and motility related to
increased progesterone levels
2. Increasing pressure on the GI tract by
the fetus Decrease in physical activity
3. Inadequate fiber and fluid intake
4. Use of iron supplements
Nutrition interventions
1. Increase fiber intake, especially intake
of whole-grain breads and cereals. Look
for breads that provide at least 2 g
fiber/ slice and cereals with at least 5 g
fiber/ serving.
2. Drink at least eight 8-oz glasses of liquid
daily. Try hot water with lemon or
prune juice upon waking to help
stimulate peristalsis.
3. Participate in regular exercise.
Heartburn
POSSIBLE CAUSES
1. Decrease in GI motility
2. Relaxation of the cardiac sphincter
3. Pressure of the uterus on the stomach
Nutrition interventions
1.
liquids immediately before and after
meals to avoid gastric distention. (Eat
small meals often and avoid drinking
liquids right before or after eating to
prevent stomach bloating.)
2. Avoid coffee, high-fat foods, and spices.
3. Identify and remove specific foods that
cause intolerances
4. Avoid lying down or bending over after
eating.
Nausea and vomiting
Most common during 1st trimester
Possible Causes
1. Hypoglycemia
2. Decreased gastric motility
3. Relaxation of the cardiac sphincter
4. Anxiety
Nutrition Interventions
1. Eat easily digested carbohydrate foods
(e.g., dry crackers, melba toast, dry
cereal, hard candy) before getting out of
bed in the morning.
2. Eat frequent, small snacks of dry
carbohydrates (e.g., crackers, hard
candy) to prevent drop in glucose.
3. Eat small frequent meals.
4. Avoid liquids with meals.
5. Limit high-fat foods because they delay
gastric emptying.
6. Eliminate individual intolerances and
foods with a strong odor.
A more serious health conditions in the mother
during pregnancy are pre-existing and
gestational problems which can greatly impact
the course of pregnancy and infant health. And I
will be discussing 3 of those which are Diabetes
mellitus, Phenylketonuria, gestational
hypertension.
Diabetes Mellitus Use clinical measures to determine how the
carbohydrates are distributed during the day.
There are 2 types of Diabetes on pregnant
Like blood glucose levels and ketones
woman the pre-existing and gestational
diabetes. Mapa improve nato ang control sa glucose by
eating gamay na carbohydrates sa morning/
Preexisting (naa nay diabetes ang pregnant
breakfast and more sa uban na meals.
woman saw ala pa ga buntis) diabetes increases
the risk of congenital malformations according Phenylketonuria
to ADA.
Women who have phenylketonuria (PKU) and
Gestational diabetes appears in the latter half who consume a normal diet before and during
(after 24 weeks) of pregnancy as a result of the pregnancy have very high blood levels of
metabolic changes of pregnancy, increases the phenylalanine, which are devastating to the
risk of macrosomia, large for gestational age (a developing fetus.
newborn who's much larger than average,
An inborn error of phenylalanine (an essential
weighs more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000
amino acid) metabolism that results in
grams)) and can make delivery difficult,
retardation and physical handicaps in newborns
increasing the risk of infant shoulder dislocation
if they are not treated with a lowphenylalanine
(shoulder dystocia) and cesarean delivery.
diet beginning shortly after birth.
Although symptoms of gestational diabetes
Kaning Phenylalanine kay teratogen, so excess
disappear after delivery, women who have had
serum ani maka cause ug microcephaly, mental
gestational diabetes, especially those who
retardation, growth retardation / congenital
continue to have impaired glucose tolerance in
heart abnormalities in any offspring born to a
the postpartum period, are at high risk for type
woman with PKU.
2 diabetes later in life.
Most of these infants do not inherit PKU and
Children born to mothers with diabetes are at
cannot benefit from a low-phenylalanine diet
increased risk for hypertension and high BMI in
after birth.
childhood
Pero Essential AA and kailangan mn ang
Whether nay diabetes na daan ang pregnant
phenylalanine for growth and protein synthesis,
woman or na develop lang during pag buros
so kailangan japun siya sa diet pero in limited
kailangan japun ni sila ug nutritional
amounts lang.
management.
Low-phenylalanine diets are very low in total
First is though are goal sa diet is to gain weight
protein, so to prevent protein deficiency, a
pero within ra siya sa recommended range and
protein source of synthetic amino acids must be
also ang blood glucose levels kay within ra
consumed via medical foods ( a food formulated
gihapon sa goal range and to avoid ketosis.
to be consumed or administered enterally under
Next is Ang total calories mag depende bawat the supervision of a physician for the specific
goal sa tao. dietary management of a disease or condition)

Though gi control nato ang carbohydrates sa An excessive intake of phenylalanine is common

mga buros na nay diabetes kailangan japun nila without an adequate intake of calories provided
ug minimum na 175 grams per day. by most medical foods.
Deficiencies of vitamin B6, vitamin B12,
calcium, folate, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids
may develop from the restriction of protein
foods. The whey protein glycomacropeptide
(GMP) may offer a new source of low-
phenylalanine dietary protein with greater
acceptability and more satiety than traditional
amino acid–based medical foods
preeclampsia in a prior pregnancy, primiparity,
multiple pregnancy, maternal age of less than
20 years or greater than 35 years, African
American race, and maternal obesity (ADA,
2008). Nutrition interventions aimed at reducing
the risk of gestational hypertension or
preeclampsia have primarily involved nutrient
supplements.

Gestational hypertension

develops in approximately 6% to 17% of

nulliparous women and 2% to 4% of
multiparous women (Sibai, 2003). It is defi ned
as a systolic blood pressure of greater than or
equal to 140 mmHg or a diastolic reading of
greater than or equal to 90 mmHg with onset
after 20 weeks of gestation and without
proteinuria. Often gestational hypertension
does not occur until 30 weeks or later.
Approximately 50% of women with gestational
hypertension diagnosed before 30 weeks of
gestation develop preeclampsia, a potentially
serious syndrome involving gestational
hypertension plus proteinuria (Borzychowski,
Sargent, and Redman, 2006). The causes of
preeclampsia are unknown but believed to be
related to an inadequate placental blood supply,
possibly from maternal hypertension and
involving an infl ammatory response (ADA,
2009a). It is twice as prevalent in overweight
women and approximately three times as high
in obese women (Catalano, 2007).

men (Catalano, 2007). Although most cases are

mild and asymptomatic, edema of the hands
and face, weight gain greater than or equal to 5
pounds a week, visual disturbances, severe
headaches, dizziness, and pain in the upper
right abdominal quadrant may occur.
Preeclampsia increases maternal and infant
morbidity and mortality (ADA, 2008). In rare
cases, preeclampsia progresses to eclampsia,
characterized by grand mal seizures and
sometimes coma. Risk factors for eclampsia
include a history of chronic hypertension or