Good nutrition during pregnancy, and enough of it, is very important for the fetus (in-born the baby) to grow and develop. Mothers should consume about 300 more calories per day than they used to do before they became pregnant.

Although nausea and vomiting during the first few months of pregnancy can make this difficult, one should try to eat a well balanced diet and take prenatal vitamins.

Mothers should eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients they need. Recommended daily food servings such as breads and grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and protein sources such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or nuts.

One should always choose foods high in fiber that are enriched such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables.

Pregnant mothers should make sure they are getting enough vitamins and minerals in the daily diet. It is important to take a prenatal vitamin supplement to make sure that she is consistently getting enough vitamins and minerals every day.

The mother’s doctor during gestation period can always recommend this vitamin supplement. The pregnant mother should eat or drink at least four servings of dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day to help ensure that she is getting 1000-1300 mg of calcium in the daily diet during pregnancy.

She can eat at least three servings of iron-rich foods per day so as to get 27 mg of iron daily. It is also important to choose at least one good source of vitamin C every day, such as oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, honeydew, papaya, and other foods rich in vitamin C. Pregnant women need 70 mg of vitamin C a day.

Choose at least one good source of folic acid every day, like dark green leafy vegetables and legumes. Every pregnant woman needs at least 0.4 mg of folic acid per day to help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida for the in-born baby.

Also choose at least one source of vitamin A every other day. Sources of vitamin A include carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and others.

Important to note is that excessive vitamin A intake for example over 10,000 IU/day may be associated with fetal malformations.

However there are also foods that one should avoid during pregnancy. Fish with lots of mercury is dangerous. High levels of mercury can damage a baby’s developing brain.

But this does not mean that pregnant mothers should not take fish. Fish contains fatty acids and proteins, which is very important for life.

Types of fish such as swordfish, tilefish, and shark should be avoided but other types of fish such as tilapia are good for human diets.

Non-pasteurized soft cheeses are not good because they may contain bacteria called listeria that   can cross the placenta, potentially causing miscarriage or leading to a life-threatening infection.

Alcohol, with alcohol there is no known safe level of exposure to alcohol for a fetus. Prenatal exposure to alcohol can interfere with healthy development and lead to fetal alcohol syndrome, one of the most common causes of mental retardation and the only one that is completely preventable.

Caffeine, while some studies show that moderate caffeine intake during pregnancy is good, others have found a link to miscarriage, so it’s particularly important to steer clear of caffeine during the first trimester.

Large amounts of caffeine have been linked to premature birth and low birth weight, therefore mothers should do their best to limit intake of caffeine during pregnancy.

Maternal nutrient depletion may contribute to the increased incidence of preterm births and fetal growth retardation among these women as well as the increased risk of maternal mortality and morbidity.

In the past, it was assumed that the fetus functioned as a parasite and withdrew its nutritional needs from maternal tissues.The maternal nutrient supply is inadequate, the delicate balance between maternal and fetal needs is disturbed and a state of biological competition exists.

Maternal nutritional status at conception influences how nutrients are partitioned between the mother and fetal. In severe deficiencies maternal nutrition is given preference, in a marginal state the fetal compartment is favored.

Although the studies of nutrient partitioning have focused on energy and protein, the partitioning of micronutrients may also be influenced by the maternal nutritional status.

Little  intakes of iron and folic acid during the reproductive period induce a poor maternal status for these nutrients during the interpregnancy interval.

Poor iron and folic acid status has also been linked to preterm births and fetal growth retardation. Supplementation with food and micronutrients during the interpregnancy period may improve pregnancy outcomes and maternal health among women with early or closely spaced pregnancies.

Kamugisha is a final year student of Medecine at  University hospital school
Butare