Which are the nutrients necessary for Prenatal Care?Â
Prenatal care means the healthcare that is followed by a woman who is pregnant, i.e. expecting a child. Taking good prenatal care ensures that the baby, as well as the mother, are healthy. Prenatal care is a combination of health check-ups, medical exams, blood tests, a healthy diet, etc. It is one of the most important steps of pregnancy and good prenatal care is essential for a healthy pregnancy.
While getting regular check-ups and medical exams to ensure the baby’s health is important, making sure that the mother eats healthy and nutrient-rich food is equally important for the baby’s development. Below are the nutrients whose intake is extremely important during prenatal care i.e. during pregnancy :
Folic Acid is a vitamin that belongs to the B group of vitamins that are present in all cells of the body. Proper intake of Folic Acid is required for the proper health, growth, and development of the baby. According to some study that was conducted, taking Folic Acid during pregnancy helped in preventing heart defects in the baby. It also helped to prevent cleft lip and palate (a defect in the baby’s lips and mouth) defect in the baby. It is hence, important to consume Folic Acid before, during, and after pregnancy in specified amounts. Foods such as Citrus fruits (oranges, strawberries, etc ), Green Leafy Vegetables (spinach, kale, etc), Beans, Rice, and Bread are good sources of Folic Acid.
Iron is a necessary mineral that our body needs in order to make a protein known as haemoglobin. Haemoglobin helps in carrying the oxygen from the lungs to the whole body, which is why its levels must always be maintained. The amount of Iron required by a pregnant woman is twice the amount required by a woman who isn’t pregnant. When a woman is pregnant, her body needs to make more blood in order to carry oxygen to the baby. At the same time, the baby also needs iron so that it can make its own blood.
If the iron amounts during pregnancy are low, it may cause anaemia, pre-mature birth ad other infections.
Foods like meat, seafood, green leafy vegetables, cereals, dry fruits like raisins, dates, etc. are good sources of iron. Other foods that are rich in Vitamin C like oranges, tomatoes, strawberries, etc. should also be consumed as they help in increasing the amount of iron absorbed by the body.