E9

Catherine McCain

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Once the announcement is made, it seems customary to offer pregnant women advice.

With all the headlines promoting proper nutrition, sometimes it becomes difficult to discern what is actually valid among all the myths and old wives' tales. It is definitely a great opportunity to optimize the growth and development of the little one in addition to the health of the mom.

One of the early players is folic acid as it helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects. The challenge is that folic acid plays an important role within the first few weeks after conception, often before the mother even realizes she is pregnant. It is now recommended that any female of reproductive age take a general multivitamin that offers at least 400 mcg of folic acid, and then increase to 600 mcg once you become pregnant. It is worth checking the bottles since some multivitamins only offer 100 mcg. Folic acid is naturally found in dark green vegetables and whole grains but the natural form is not as well-absorbed as the synthetic version found in supplements and fortified foods.

Iron is also synonymous with pregnancy. The demand for this mineral jumps during the second and third trimester when the blood volume dramatically increases.

Iron plays an essential role in delivering oxygen throughout our body, so a compromised intake can quickly lead to anemia and fatigue.

Since the iron demands increase from 18 mg to 27 mg, it is wise to supplement this since it can be challenging to meet this level through food alone. Some women find iron supplements can be constipating though, so we normally recommend ferrous fumarate or a chelated form.

One vitamin that we want to be cautious of is Vitamin A. More than 10 000 IU of this nutrient have been linked with birth defects. Most prenatals now only offer 2 500 IU of this nutrient while up to 5000 IU is considered safe in supplement form. Although liver can be a very rich source of iron for pregnant women, it should be avoided since it contains too much Vitamin A.

A great area of current interest lies with omega three fatty acids. This essential fat aids in brain development and vision during fetal growth, and appears to have long term learning benefits and may play a role with post partum depression.

Rich sources of omega three fat are fatty oily fish, but they can also be a source of contaminants such as mercury. It is wise to avoid high mercury-containing fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and fresh tuna steaks, but aim to have a 3 oz. serving of low-mercury fish at least two to three times a week.

Food poisoning offers another challenge during pregnancy. Unpasteurized milk and cheeses, such as feta, brie, camembert and blue cheese may put you at greater risk for food poisoning which can lead to miscarriages. Raw eggs can also be a source of salmonella so you need to pay attention to how the Caesar salad dressing was prepared and be sure to keep your fingers out of the raw cookie dough.

Now is the time to thoroughly wash all your produce and make sure poultry and red meat are handled properly.

Having the morning cup of coffee is often one of the first habits eliminated once a woman finds out she's pregnant. The impact caffeine has during pregnancy is unclear but significant amounts, greater than six cups of coffee per day, have been associated with miscarriages and low birth weights. Caffeine can pass through the placenta and can act as a stimulant and diuretic, so experts recommend keeping your intake to a minimum.

Pregnancy offers a great opportunity to optimize the mother's energy level and take advantage of such an important growth stage for the baby.

Catherine McCain, RD, BSc, MBA, is a consulting dietitian in private practice at a Fredericton physiotherapy clinic. She can be reached at 457-2722.