4 important vitamins and minerals for "pregnant women"

Along with the need for energy, the need for vitamins and minerals also increases in pregnant mothers, helping the normal development of both mother and child.

The following 4 vitamins and minerals are especially important and indispensable during this stage.

Folic acid

Folic acid (also known as folate) is essential for cell growth and division and for the formation of blood cells. The need for folic acid in adults is about 180-200 mcg/day, while during pregnancy it is necessary to increase to 400 mcg/day to meet the increased needs during pregnancy.

These include increased cell division (required for cell nucleus and protein synthesis), placental formation, increased red blood cell count, fetal growth, and increased urinary excretion of folate.

Folate is important in preventing neural tube defects (NTDs). These are a group of birth defects involving the spine, skull, and brain, the most common of which are spina bifida and anencephaly.

With spina bifida, the fetal spine does not close (which usually happens 21-28 days after conception) and as a result, the spinal cord is left unprotected.

Thus, the consequences of folic acid deficiency in the early stages of pregnancy will cause abnormal cell division, not only causing neural tube defects but also other malformations such as cleft palate, Down syndrome, miscarriage...

Approximately 50-70% of neural tube defects can be prevented if pregnant women take folic acid from before conception to 4 weeks after conception.

Folic acid/folate is one of the B vitamins. It is found in various vegetables (especially dark green vegetables), such as spinach, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, romaine lettuce, avocado, okra, broccoli, and also in nuts, dairy products, poultry, bananas, melons, eggs, seafood, beans and peas…

Pregnant women should eat foods rich in this vitamin. However, pregnant women are often advised to supplement folic acid (in pill form) daily.

Iron

During pregnancy, iron needs also increase to meet fetal development during pregnancy and to avoid the risk of blood loss during labor.

During pregnancy, a woman's blood volume increases, and her body needs extra iron to make hemoglobin, a part of red blood cells that helps carry oxygen to the fetus. A lack of iron can lead to a condition called iron deficiency anemia.

In pregnant women, iron deficiency anemia has a huge impact on the health of the mother as well as the development of the fetus. According to the World Health Organization, about 50% of pregnant women in the world are anemic.

Anemia in pregnant women can have serious consequences for both mother and child, increasing the risk of death for the fetus such as the risk of premature birth, miscarriage, stillbirth, intrauterine growth retardation or low birth weight.

Iron deficiency anemia is considered to be related to ¼ of maternal deaths related to pregnancy, increasing obstetric complications, especially complications due to postpartum hemorrhage.

Therefore, iron supplementation is needed during this period. You should eat foods rich in iron such as spinach, lean meat and sea fish... and take iron supplements as prescribed by your doctor.

However, it should be noted that common side effects of iron supplements can include nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea. When taking iron supplements, some medications can inhibit iron absorption when taken at the same time. Calcium, for example, can interfere with iron absorption. Calcium is also an important supplement during pregnancy.

Therefore, pregnant women can overcome this by separating the amount of calcium and iron and not taking them at the same time (calcium and iron should be taken far apart).

It is best to take calcium in the morning and iron in the afternoon. When taking iron tablets, you should not eat calcium-rich foods such as dairy products immediately after taking them (to avoid interactions that reduce the effectiveness of iron).

Additionally, up to 50% of women may also experience gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) during pregnancy and sometimes require antacids or other medications to treat the condition, and since these medications can interact with iron absorption, caution should be exercised when taking them.

Calcium

Calcium plays an important role in the formation of bones and teeth of the baby. Therefore, during pregnancy, calcium supplementation is needed to ensure adequate supply for the development needs of the fetus. If not supplemented adequately, the fetus may suffer from rickets, poor development, and bone structure deformities.

The mother may experience bone and joint pain, cramps, and in severe cases, convulsions due to hypocalcemia. Lack of calcium causes the fetus to take calcium from the mother's body (which will cause osteoporosis later in life in women).

According to the recommendation of the Institute of Nutrition (recommended nutritional needs for Vietnamese people), pregnant women (during pregnancy) need 1200mg of calcium/day. Thus, in addition to increasing the intake of calcium-rich foods such as seafood, butter, cheese, etc., calcium can be supplemented through pharmaceuticals (medicines containing calcium) as prescribed by a doctor.

Because, if you supplement or drink too much calcium on your own, it will be harmful. For the fetus, there may be hypercalcemia, when born, the fontanel will close too early, the jaw bone may be deformed, wide and protruding forward, which is not good for health and affects aesthetics.

When the mother has excess calcium, the placenta will become more calcified, reducing metabolism between mother and fetus, causing poor fetal development. The mother will experience constipation, dry mouth, headache, increased thirst, loss of appetite, fatigue, increased risk of urinary tract stones, especially kidney stones...

Vitamin D

Along with calcium supplementation, vitamin D supplementation is also very important. This is a substance that is essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, contributing to bone structure. Vitamin D in the baby's body is provided by the mother's body. If the mother does not have enough vitamin D, it means the baby will be deficient in this nutrient.

Lack of vitamin D will make it difficult for calcium to be absorbed, leading to consequences such as rickets in the womb or normal birth but the fontanelle will take a long time to close, the fetus will be weakened. If there is too much vitamin D deficiency, it can cause birth defects, osteomalacia, convulsions due to hypocalcemia, osteoporosis in the mother.

The body's main source of vitamin D (80%) is synthesised in the skin under the influence of sunlight. Therefore, pregnant women should spend as much time outdoors as possible and should eat foods of animal origin rich in vitamin D such as fish liver, eggs, butter, fatty fish, and foods fortified with vitamin D (such as milk). Vitamin D supplementation should be prescribed by a doctor.

According to Suckhoevadoisong