NUTRITION THROUGH THE

LIFE SPAN
Pregnancy and Lactation

Pregnancy
Before pregnancy
Full nutrient stores are essential
Habits to establish

Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight

Choose an adequate and balanced diet
By physically active
Receive regular medical care
Avoid harmful influences

Pregnancy
Pregnancy weight
Underweight
High risk of low-birthweight infant
More risk for disease
40 times more likely to die in first month

Long-term effects
Risk for obesity & hypertension later in life
Lower adult IQ
Short stature
Educational disacvantages

Pregnancy
Causes of Low-Birthweight
Mothers

Poor nutrition
Heredity
Disease conditions
Smoking
Drug & alcohol use

Pregnancy
Overweight
Difficult labor and delivery, birth trauma, and cesarean section
Increased risk of neural tube defect and other defects

Mom
More likely to need labor induced
More post-partum hypertension, infections, &
gestational diabetes

Babies
Are larger
Greater risk of heart defects

Pregnancy
Neural tube defects
Prevented by folate taken prior and
during pregnancy
Common types
Anencephaly
Spina bifida

Recommended
Supplements, enriched foods, and folate in
foods

Pregnancy
Healthy placenta
Pregnancy nutrition is crucial
Supplies nutrients and removes waste
from the fetus
Produce hormones
Help maintain pregnancy and prepare for
lactation

Pregnancy
First week of pregnancy
Fertilized ovum (zygote) blastocyst
Smoking, drug abuse, and malnutrition
May lead to implantation failure or to
abnormalities

Weeks two through eight

Embryo

Week eight through birth

Fetus

Pregnancy
Critical Periods
Development of each organ takes
place at a certain time
Effects of malnutrition at a critical
period are irreversible

Pregnancy
Effects of Malnutrition
Nervous system defects of the
embryo
Childs poor dental health
Adolescents and adults vulnerability
to infection
Higher risk of diabetes, hypertension,
stroke, or heart disease

Pregnancy
Successful pregnancy
32 to 48 weeks
Infant weighing between 6.8 and 7.9
pounds

Energy requirements
Second trimester : extra 340 kcalories/day
Third trimester: extra 450 kcalories/day

Pregnancy

Pregnancy
Other dietary considerations
Ample carbohydrates: 175+ grams/day
Fiber: alleviates constipation
Protein: 25 grams/day higher
Essential fatty acids

Special interest: folate and vitamin

B12
Needed in large amounts

Roles in cell reproduction

Pregnancy
Vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus,
magnesium, and flouride
Needed for developing fetal bones and
teeth
Calcium intake levels
Conserve mothers bone mass while
supplying fetal needs

Pregnancy
Iron recommendations
Prior and during pregnancy
Choose foods that supply heme iron
Select additional iron-rich sources
Consume foods that enhance iron absorption

Fetus iron needs regulated by the

placenta
Given priority over those of mother

Daily multivitamin-mineral
supplements

Pregnancy
Weight gain during pregnancy
Recommended range for optimal
outcomes

Pregnancy
Weight loss after pregnancy
cumulative weight gain best avoided by:
Healthy weight prior to first pregnancy
Maintaining healthy weight between
pregnancies

Physical activity
Continue exercise throughout pregnancy
Choose low impact activities

Pregnancy
Common nutrition-related concerns
Food cravings and food aversions
Pica
Morning sickness
Heartburn
constipation

Pregnancy
Problems in pregnancy
Aided by healthcare and nutritional
measures

Preexisting diabetes
Gestational diabetes
Chronic or gestational hypertension
preeclempsia

Pregnancy
Practices to avoid
Cigarette smoking
Drug abuse
Environmental contaminants
Caffeine
alcohol

What are some other harmful

practices to avoid?

Pregnancy
Effects of Alcohol
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
Irreversible brain damage
Mental retardation
Facial abnormalities
Vision abnormalities

No amount is safe

Pregnancy
Adolescent pregnancy
More likely to smoke during pregnancy
Mothers younger than 16 years of age
Bear more infants who die within the first
year than do women in any other age group

Lactation
Breastfeeding
Recommendation
Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months
Then breastfeeding with complementary
foods through 12 months

Nutrition During Lactation

Energy
Extra 330 kcal/day and 170 kcal form fat
stores

Gradual weight loss

How is milk production affected by
nutritional deprivation?
Water: about 13 cups/day

Lactation
Contraindications to breastfeeding
Alcohol
Tobacco and caffeine
Medications and illicit drugs
Maternal illness

BIBLIOGRAPHY
DeBruyne, L. K., Pinna, K., Whitney,
E., Nutrition and Diet Therapy:
Principles and Practice. 2010. 7th Ed.
Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd.