Life Cycle Nutrition: Nutrition Prior to Pregnancy

Study Notes

Nutrition Prior to Pregnancy

A woman's nutrition has a direct influence on the developing fetus, and both men and women can prepare physically, mentally, and emotionally for pregnancy.
Achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight is essential, as underweight and overweight are associated with infertility and increased risks of complications during pregnancy.

Importance of Balanced Diet

A healthy diet that includes a full array of vitamins and minerals can favourably influence fertility.
Malnutrition reduces fertility and impairs the early development of an infant should a woman become pregnant.

Maternal Weight and Complications

Overweight and obese women are more likely to have complications during labor and delivery, including macrosomia (abnormally large body size).
Infants of obese women are more likely to be large for gestational age, weighing more than 9 pounds.
Macrosomia increases the likelihood of a difficult labor and delivery, birth trauma, and cesarean delivery.

Key Terms

Gestation: births occurring at 37 to 38 weeks of gestation are designated early term.
Macrosomia: abnormally large body size, often resulting from pre-pregnancy obesity, excessive weight gain during pregnancy, or uncontrolled gestational diabetes.

Energy and Nutrient Needs during Pregnancy

Pregnant women can easily meet their protein needs by selecting meats, milk products, and protein-containing plant foods.
Essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3 and omega-6, are important for fetal growth and development.
Nutrients such as folate, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc are crucial for blood production and cell growth.

Folate Requirements

The requirement for folate increases dramatically during pregnancy, from 400 micrograms to 600 micrograms daily.

The Infant's Birthweight

Small-for-gestational-age infants may not catch up in growth as well as others.
Low-birthweight infants are more likely to experience complications during delivery and have physical and mental birth defects.
Very-low-birthweight infants struggle with physical health and survival, as well as future cognitive development and abilities.

Malnutrition and Pregnancy

Good nutrition supports a healthy pregnancy, while malnutrition interferes with the ability to conceive and the development of a fetus.
Malnutrition also increases the risks of hypertension, fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, and separation of the placenta from the uterus.

Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia

Gestational hypertension is high blood pressure during the second half of pregnancy, and can increase the risks of subsequent hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
Preeclampsia is a condition characterized by gestational hypertension and protein in the urine, and can be a sign of the most serious maternal complication of pregnancy.

Description

Explore the importance of nutrition prior to pregnancy, and how it can affect fertility and the developing fetus. Learn about the influence of both men's and women's nutrition on the genetic contributions to their children. Prepare physically, mentally, and emotionally before conception.