Nutrition and pregnancy
An ever-increasing number of studies have shown that the nutrition of the mother will have an effect on the child, up to and including the risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes throughout life.
[1] An inadequate or excessive amount of some nutrients may cause malformations or medical problems in the fetus, and neurological disorders and handicaps are a risk that is run by mothers who are malnourished.
[2] An estimated 24% of babies worldwide are born with lower than optimal weights at birth due to lack of proper nutrition.
[3] Personal habits such as consumption of alcohol or large amounts of caffeine can negatively and irreversibly affect the development of the baby, which happens in the early stages of pregnancy.
[18] Multiple micronutrient supplements taken with iron and folic acid may improve birth outcomes for women in low income countries.
[20] A review showed that dietary education increased the mother's protein intake and helped the baby grow more inside the womb.
[20] A review conducted in 2018 found that there was a slight benefit for lipid-based nutritional supplements (LNS) for newborn birth weight, length, small for gestational age and stunting when compared with iron-folic acid (IFA).
In the same study IFA and multiple micro-nutrients (MMN) reduced maternal anemia better than LNS but care is advised in interpreting and applying the results due to review limitations.
[25] Low-quality evidence also suggests that calcium supplementation may reduce the risk of the mother having the baby before 37th week of pregnancy (preterm birth).
[25] [26] A mother's nutritional intake during pregnancy is believed to influence and possibly offer protective effects against the development of allergenic diseases and asthma in children.
Women who had 0.4 mg of folic acid in their systems due to supplementing 3 months before childbirth significantly reduced the risk of NTDs.
Determination of these values was based on a RDA of 2.4 μg/day for non-pregnant women plus what will be transferred to the fetus during pregnancy and what will be delivered in breast milk.
[33][34] However, looking at the same scientific evidence, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) sets adequate intake (AI) at 4.5 μg/day for pregnancy and 5.0 μg/day for lactation.
[33] What the mother-to-be consumes during the pregnancy is more important than her liver tissue stores, as it is recently absorbed vitamin content that more effectively reaches the placenta.
[37][34] Pregnant women are advised to pay attention to the foods they eat during pregnancy in order to reduce the risk of exposure to substances or bacteria that may be harmful to the developing fetus.
[6] Due to risks of heavy-metal toxicity on fetal neurodevelopment, many mothers are concerned about eating fish during pregnancy.
[6] Current research suggests that 2-3 servings of low-methylmercury containing fish per week in pregnancy is both safe and beneficial.
That range is far below the upper safety limit of 100 parts per billion set by the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s, an industry trade group.
"[62] Proper nutrition is important after delivery to help the mother recover, and to provide enough food energy and nutrients for a woman to breastfeed her child.
