Maternal Nutrition During Pregnancy and Lactation

Maternal Nutrition During Pregnancy and Lactation

Meeting Nutrient Requirements:

Adequate energy intake and a diversified diet that includes fruit, vegetables, and animal products throughout the life cycle help ensure that women enter pregnancy and lactation without deficiencies and obtain adequate nutrients during periods of heightened demand.
Some nutrient requirements, particularly iron, folic acid, and vitamin A, are more difficult to achieve than others through food sources. For this reason, supplements with these nutrients are recommended in addition to improved diets. Fortified foods should be promoted through counseling and social marketing in countries where foods fortified with iron, iodine, folic acid, or vitamin A are available and affordable. Promote consumption of iron-rich foods and foods that enhance absorption (meat, fish, poultry, and vitamin C-rich foods) Counsel pregnant women and their families on the need for protein and identify local foods rich in protein. Monitor weight gain during pregnancy Advise families that pregnant women need extra food each day (one or more servings of the staple food) and that lactating women need an extra meal.
Breastfeeding
Babies need only breast milk for the first 6 months. At about 6 months babies need to eat solid foods and continue to breastfeed for up to 2 years and beyond. Start solid foods that are nutritious, especially foods that are high in iron.
Breastfeeding matters to baby, because breastfeeding...
• Protects baby from many infections and illnesses.
• Builds healthy eating habits.
• Promotes proper jaw development.
• Promotes healthy brain development
Breastfeeding matters to mother , because breastfeeding...
• Controls postpartum bleeding.
• Helps lose the weight gained during pregnancy more quickly.
Some reasons for giving formula are:
• The baby has a medical condition and needs to be fed formula or a special formula.
• The mother has a medical condition and is unable to breastfeed her baby.
• The mother and baby are separated from one another and the mother is unable to get enough breast milk to her baby.

Risks of Formula Feeding
If are thinking about giving baby formula consider the following: Formula fed infants are more at risk for:
• Infections such as ear, chest and bladder infections.
• Upsets of the stomach and gut, causing diarrhea or later bowel problems.
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• Obesity and chronic diseases later in life.
• Some childhood cancers.
For mothers, NOT breastfeeding increases their risk of:
• Postpartum bleeding.
• Cancer of the breast or ovaries.
Conclusion:
Babies need at least 8 feeds per day (every 1 to 3 hours). Baby is starting sucking strongly, slowly, steadily and swallowing often.
Breast milk is all the food a baby needs for the first six months — At six months of age begin introducing solid foods while continuing to breastfeed until age two or older. (WHO, UNICEF, Canadian Pediatric Society).

Nutrition and Aging
Calorie needs change due to more body fat and less lean muscle. Less activity can further decrease calorie needs. The challenge for the elderly is to meet the same nutrient needs as when they were younger, yet consume fewer calories.
The answer to this problem is to choose foods high in nutrients in relation to their calories. Such foods are considered “nutrient-dense.” For example, low-fat milk is more nutrient dense than regular milk. Its nutrient content is the same, but it has fewer calories because it has less fat. Protein needs usually do not change for the elderly, although research studies are not definitive. Protein requirements can vary because of chronic disease. Balancing needs and restrictions is a challenge, particularly in health care facilities. Protein absorption may decrease as we age, and our bodies may make less protein. However, this does not mean protein intake should be routinely increased, because of the general decline in kidney function. Excess protein could unnecessarily stress kidneys.
Reducing the overall fat content in the diet is reasonable. It is the easiest way to cut calories. This is appropriate to reduce weight. Lower fat intake is often necessary because of chronic disease. About 60 percent of calories should come from carbohydrates, with emphasis on complex carbohydrates. Glucose tolerance may decrease with advancing years. Complex carbohydrates put less stress on the circulating blood glucose than do refined carbohydrates.
Such a regime also enhances dietary fiber intake. Adequate fiber, together with adequate fluid, helps maintain normal bowel function. Fiber also is thought to decrease risk of intestinal inflammation. Vegetables, fruits, grain products, cereals, seeds, legumes and nuts are all sources of dietary fiber, Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin deficiencies may not be obvious in many older people. However, any illness stresses the body and may be enough to use up whatever stores there are and make the person vitamin deficient. Medications also interfere with many vitamins. When drug histories are looked at, nutrient deficiencies emerge. Eating nutrient-dense foods becomes increasingly important when calorie needs decline but vitamin and mineral needs remain high. The body can store fat-soluble vitamins and usually the elderly are at lower risk of fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies. Always provide vitamin D-fortified milk for the housebound, nursing home residents, and anyone who does not get adequate exposure to sunlight.
Iron and calcium intake sometimes appears to be low in many elderly. To improve absorption of iron, include vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables with these foods. For example, have juice or sliced fruit with cereal, a baked potato with roast beef, vegetables with fish, or fruit with chicken. To boost your intake of calcium, have tomato slices in a cheese sandwich, or salsa with a bean burrito.
Zinc can be related to specific diseases in the elderly. It can also be a factor with vitamin K in wound healing. Zinc improves taste acuity in people where stores are low. Habitual use of more than 15 mg per day of zinc supplements, in addition to dietary intake, is not recommended without medical supervision. If you eat meats, eggs and seafood, zinc intake should be adequate. This underscores the importance of eating a wide variety of foods.
Vitamin E may have a potential role in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Research has shown that eating foods with vitamin E, like whole grains, peanuts, nuts, vegetable oils, and seeds, may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the same benefits did not hold true for vitamin E from supplements. Generally, water as a nutrient receives little attention once a person is old enough to talk. However, of all the nutrients, water is the most important, serving many essential functions.
Adequate water intake reduces stress on kidney function, which tends to decline with age. Adequate fluid intake also eases constipation. With the aging process, the ability to detect thirst declines, so do not wait to drink water until you are thirsty. Drink plenty of water, juice, milk, and coffee or tea to stay hydrated. Drink the equivalent to five to eight glasses every day.
or older. (WHO, UNICEF, Canadian Pediatric Society)