05 Mar
It’s hard to get all the nutrients you and your baby need, even if you eat a wide variety of food, including fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products. Prenatal supplements like folic acid, iron and calcium are important for the baby’s growth and development. So taking additional supplements during pregnancy is very essential to cover the nutritional gaps in the mother’s diet
IMPORTANCE OF TAKING FOLIC ACID
- Folic acid is an important B vitamin for the health of your unborn baby. It helps to prevent certain malformations of the brain, skull and spine called neural tube defects. Neural tube defects include spina bifida and anencephaly.
- Folic acid occurs naturally, in the form of folates in foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, oranges, whole grains, pulses. But when we cook these foods, the nutritive value will be destroyed. If you take enough folic acid before and during pregnancy, you can reduce your risk of neural tube defects.
- Folic acid is good for you too, as it works with vitamin B12 to form healthy red blood cells. Not having enough folic acid can cause you to have anaemia.
IMPORTANCE OF CALCIUM
- When you’re pregnant, your developing baby needs more calcium to build strong bones and teeth.
- Calcium also helps your baby grow a healthy heart, nerves, and muscles as well as to develop a normal heart rhythm and blood-clotting abilities.
- Calcium can also reduce your risk of hypertension and preeclampsia
- If you don’t get enough calcium in your diet when you’re pregnant, your baby will draw it from your bones, which may impair your own health later on
IMPORTANCE OF IRON SUPPLEMENTATION
- You need extra iron for your growing baby and placenta, especially in the second and third trimesters.
- The amount of blood in your body increases during pregnancy until you have almost 50 per cent more blood than usual, so you need more iron to make more haemoglobin.
- Although there are plenty of ways to get iron from the foods you eat, it’s always good to have extra insurance when it comes to this vital nutrient.
- Taking regular iron supplement during second half of your pregnancy will ensure that you’re getting what you and your baby need.