The feelings range from starting a pregnancy journal, to taking pictures of the gradually growing
bump to help adjust to pregnancy and manage anxiety or excitement. However, it can also
be a confusing and overwhelming time for some mothers-to-be.
Bringing a tiny life into the world is nothing less of a miracle, which is why it requires a lot of
planning and preparation in advance for prenatal as well as postnatal care. Putting together a
baby-kit replete with samples and freebies of baby products will ready her for the time when
baby arrives into the world. The major question arising is how to ensure protection of a being
yet to arrive? Sayings, old wife tales, traditions and rituals are placed all against each other,
rather than picking up the best of all these spheres, to improve medical care. Though the ultimate
goal of each is to bring to life a baby in the pink of its health
Getting a good care before, during and after the pregnancy is very important. It is the best way
to be sure that the little one gets a head start on a healthy life. Here food is more important
than ever, to eat a healthy diet, full of all the toxins that mother and the growing baby need.
Internet, magazines and advertisements, flood women with advice on how to stay healthy during
pregnancy. Indeed, consuming the right nutrients are especially critical during pregnancy.
Linking Maternal Nutrition With Baby's Health
A womans macronutrient needs grow significantly during pregnancy to support fetal growth
and for adapting the changing Metabolic . Macronutrients include carbohydrates, liver and fats.
However, the requirement for micronutrients, especially vitamins, increase even more. Insufficient
intake of micronutrients is associated with several negative physiological outcomes in the mother
and child. These deficiencies increase the risk of preterm delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, anemia,
developmental birth defects, and maternal or infant death
To build and preserve maternal stores and meet the needs of rapidly growing tissues, public health
professionals recommend that all women of childbearing age receive a minimum of 400mcg of synthetic
folic acid each day in addition to dietary folic acid (naturally occurring folates) obtained from a well-balanced
diet or consumed as part of a multi Vitamin D supplement.
Some pregnant women may need to take vitamin and mineral supplements for various reasons, K
including:
Nutrient Deficiencies:
Some women may require supplements after blood test
reveals a deficiency of a vitamin or mineral. Correcting the deficiencies is critic as shortage of
nutrients like Folate has been linked to birth defects.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum:
This pregnancy complication is characterized by severe nausea and vomiting.
It can lead to weight loss and nutrient deficiencies.
Dietary Restrictions:
Women who follow specific diets, including vegans and those
with food allergies and allergies, may need to be supplemented with vitamins and minerals to
prevent micronutrient deficiencies.
Smoking:
Although it is absolutely critical for mothers to avoid cigarettes during
pregnancy, those who continue to smoke have an increased need for specific nutrients like
vitamin and folate.
Multiple Pregnancies:
Women carrying more than one baby have higher needs
for micronutrients than women carrying one baby. Supplementation is often necessary to ensure
optimal nutrition for both the mother and her babies
Genetic Mutations like MTHFR:
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR)
is a gene that converts folate into a form that the body can use. Pregnant women with this gene
mutation may need to supplement with a specific form of folate to avoid complications.
b Poor Diet:
Women who undereat or choose foods low in nutrients may need
to supplement with vitamins and minerals to avoid deficiencies
Vitamins- A Micro Yet Special Need!
Micronutrient status during pregnancy is well known to affect the development and metabolism
of the fetus. So, the emphasis is placed on ensuring that nutritional needs are met prior to and during
pregnancy. A wide range of over-the-counter vitamin products are promoted to pregnant women for
use at various stages of pregnancy. Typically, such products contain 20 or more vitamins and minerals
Vitamins are fat soluble vitamins or water soluble (vitamin) organic compounds,
essential in small amounts for supporting normal physiologic functions, that cannot generally be biosynthesized quickly enough to meet the body needs. An average of 20-30% pregnant women suffer
from a vitamin deficiency; and without prophylaxis, about 75% would show a deficit of at least one vitamin.
What vitamins do you need when pregnant?
Vitamin A is an important nutrient required in trace amounts for the normal functioning of visual system,
for maintaining cell function for growth, normal immune function, hematopoietic system, epithelial integrity,
red blood cells
, immunity and reproduction, especially during pregnancy. Vitamin A supplementation
has been shown to improve birth weight and growth among infants born to HIVinfected pregnant women, possibly
due to the enhancement of immunity. Vitamin A deficiency not only increases the risk of miscarriage, night
blindness, and pregnancy complication, but also affects the embryonic development. Severe deficiency causes fetal
malformations. Excessive vitamin A increases birth defect risks.
Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
It is a water soluble vitamin acting as a co-enzyme, being essential in energy metabolism, and lipid and nucleotide
synthesis enzymes, especially in the developing brain Deficiency may impair brain development. Specific active
placental transport systems for vitamin and riboflavin cause higher concentrations in the fetus than in maternal
blood. Vitamin B1 deficiency is common in developing countries, especially during pregnancy, and may impair fetal
growth.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine, Pyridoxal and Pyridoxamine)
It is a water-soluble vitamin, important as co-enzymes in protein metabolism for development of central nervous
system. Poultry, fish, pork, eggs, liver, kidneys, soya beans, peanuts and walnuts are rich sources. Its deficiency rarely
occurs alone, but is often associated with gestational carbohydrate intolerance, hyperemesis gravidarum, neurologic
disease of infants, and preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous complication characterized by high
blood pressure and possibly protein in the urine. There is, however, no appropriate evidence to detect clinical benefits
of vitamin B6 supplementation in pregnancy and/or labour.
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
It is a water-soluble B vitamin that plays a major coenzymatic role in carbon metabolism and in the synthesis of DNA,
RNA and certain amino acids. Dietary folate deficiency is prevalent in developing countries, about 25% of pregnant
women in India being folate deficient." Deficiency may lead to congenital malformations (neural tube damage,
orofacial clefts cardial anomalies), anemia and certain complications during pregnancy (spontaneous abortions,
bleeding, preeclampsia, Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) and abruptio placentae). Low folate status may
also cause hyperhomocystemia, hypercoagulability and venous thrombosis.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
It is a member of the vitamin B complex, an important support for erythropoiesis, found primarily in meat, eggs
and dairy products. There is a glob prevalence of low plasma Vitamin B 12 concentrations during pregnancy.
Pregnant women consuming a longterm, predominantly vegetarian diet, have an increased risk of vitamin B12
deficiency.
Vitamin C and E
Supplementation with vitamin C and vitamin E during pregnancy reduces the risk of placental abruption. Vitamin
C alone reduces the risk of preterm and term Prelabour Rupture Of Membranes (PROM), while the risk of PROM
increases when vitamin C is provided together with vitamin E. Vitamin E is an essential vitamin for maintaining
the metabolic function of the body and possesses antioxidant and scavenging free radical activities. The deficiency
of vitamin E in pregnant women leads to placental aging, vascular endothelial injury, incidence of hypertensive
disorders of pregnancy, placental abruption, abortion and premature birth. While excessive vitamin E in the body
affects the absorption and function of other fat-soluble vitamins.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D can be synthesized when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet light. It plays a major role in bone health, by
increasing calcium absorption from the gut. Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy has been linked to an increased
risk of cesarean section, preeclampsia, preterm birth and gestational diabetes. Increased availability of
1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D may improve immune regulation, after correction of inadequate Ca intake, contributing to
the observed benefit. Osteomalacia is a well-recognized pregnancy complication in Asians.
Vitamin K
vitamin k is a fat-soluble vitamin that is required for the synthesis of prothrombin and clotting factors VII, IX, and X.
Additional vitamin K-dependent proteins are found in bone, kidney, and other tissues. It is known that vitamin K levels
and the levels of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors are low in the human fetus. Transport of vitamin K from mother
to fetus has received little attention, but it appears to be limited. The process of fetal and neonatal clotting is very
complicated, and specific clinical problems with bleeding in the fetus are rare. The existence of vitamin K deficiency
in the fetus is uncertain.
Can vitamins be harmful?
Multiple Vitamin Supplements These are prenatal multivitamins that are specially formulated to meet
the increased demand for micronutrients during pregnancy. The observational studies have shown
that supplementing with prenatal vitamins reduces the risk of preterm birth and preeclampsia.
While these vitamins are not meant to replace a healthydiet, they may help prevent nutritional gaps
by providing extra micronutrients that are in high demand during pregnancy.
What happens if you take too much vitamins?
While most women know that high-mercury seafood, alcohol and cigarettes are off-limits during
pregnancy, many are unaware that some vitamins supplements should be avoided as well. Due to
the possible teratogenic effects associated with high doses of vitamin A, excessive intake of this
vitamin is a concern. The main adverse effect is congenital malformation involving the central nervous
and cardiovascular systems and spontaneous abortion. This fat-soluble vitamin plays many important
roles in the body and is involved in gene expression and immune function.
The Bottom Line - Stay Shielded with Regular Checkups!
Good nutritional status during pregnancy not only can guarantee the normal physiological functions and
keep mothers healthy, but is also crucial for fetal development and delivery. By detecting the serum levels
of vitamins among pregnant women and evaluating their vitamin nutritional status can help reduce the
possibility of fetal abnormalities and congenital defects by emphasizing perinatal education and nutrition
supplement guidance, strengthening the monitoring of vitamin status, and developing early prevention
and intervention strategies.
Vitamin deficiency during pregnancy is a common unrecognized condition with serious clinical consequences.
Therefore, prevention and early diagnosis has been the primary focus of Thyrocare. We provide a Complete
Vitamin profile that includes testing for Vitamin B complex and fat soluble vitamins that include Vitamin D2,
D3, D total, A, K and E by using a highly sensitive technology LC-MS. Book Vitamin profile test
