The Importance of Good Nutrition in Pregnancy
You have probably heard that what you eat, drink, and do during pregnancy can have an effect on your unborn child. New research, called epigenetics, shows that conditions like obesity, diabetes and allergies can all be programmed into your child’s DNA in utero.
Epigenetics refers to structural changes to genes that do not change the nucleotide sequence, but instead control and regulate the expression of a gene1. What this basically means is that what you eat during pregnancy, any exposure to pollutants, stress or infections, can all have an effect on the expression of your child’s DNA.
This includes nutrient deficiencies, some of which are being have been shown to cause severe problems, such as a deficiency of folate contributing to the development of neural tube defect. Low levels of folate have also been linked to poor growth of the placenta and uterus, recurrent miscarriage, increased risk of preterm delievery and pre-eclampsia2.
Iron supplementation has been found to promote better birth outcomes, with lower frequency of caesarian section, longer length of gestation, and higher haemoglobin levels post-partum3.
Low levels of the mineral Selenium have been shown to have a link with the condition pre-ecplampsia in pregnancy4. Selenium is derived from the soil that food is grown in, but in Australia our soil is quite depleted of this nutrient, so supplementation may be necessary.
And adequate levels of Vitamin D in pregnancy have been found to help maintain a normal pregnancy, support foetal growth, as well as contributing to successful IVF pregnancies5.
Ideally you should prepare your body for 2-3 months before becoming pregnant, so you can be as healthy as you can, and give your baby the best future possible. All this information can be very confusing, so it is recommended you discuss with your Naturopath what you are currently taking and they can advise you of the best diet and supplements for you during your pregnancy.
References:
1. (Pozharny Y, et al Epigenetics in women’s health care. Mt Sinai J Med. 2010 Mar; 77 (2):225-35)
2. (Pozharny Y, et al Epigenetics in women’s health care. Mt Sinai J Med. 2010 Mar; 77 (2):225-35).
3. (Milman N. Iron prophylaxis in pregnancy – general or individual and in which dose? Ann Hematol. 2006 Dec; 85 (12):821-8. Epub 2006 Jun 9).
4. (Haten, M. et al. Reduced Selenium Concetntrations and Glutathione Peroxidase Activity in Preeclamptic Pregnancies. Hypertension;52(5), November 2008, pp 881-888).
5. (Ozkan S et al, Replete vitamin D stores predict reproductive success following in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril. 2010 Sep;94(4):1314-9).
Michelle Bryceland
Naturopath/Acupuncturist
Flemington Chiropractic
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