PREGNANCY AND VITAMINS
by: Katrina C. Guevarra
| Motherhood is said to be the essence of a woman. It is the most precious gift a woman could ever receive. But before motherhood comes the prenatal stage or pregnancy. Pregnancy is the most delicate, not to mention laborious stage in a woman's life. One must learn to eat right and take the right vitamins to further nourish the child inside their womb. Here is a rundown of the essential vitamins pregnant women should take, according to Dr. Sheila Jane R. Labrador-Illescas, FPOGS. |
Essential vitamins and minerals
FOLIC ACID (FOLATE) - a deficiency of this vitamin leads to mega loblastic anemia during pregnancy. Serum folate levels fall with gestation. The lowering of folate stores is attributed to high folate requirements during pregnancy.
VITAMIN B1 or THIAMINE - this is also known as the anteneuritic factor, indicative of its role in preventing symptoms involving nerves.
VITAMIN B2 or RlBOFLAVIN - this exerts an important controlling influence on body processes. The clinical signs of RIBOFLAVIN deficiency are angular stomatitis, cheilo sis, glossitis and seborrheic dermatitis.
VITAMIN B6 or PYRIDOXINE - is an important nutrient concerned with amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis. Symptoms of deficiency include insomnia, confusion, nervousness, depression, irritability peripheral neuropathy and later motor function impairment. Skin lesions include seborrhea, cheilosis, glossitis, stomatitis.
NIACIN - a deficiency of this vitamin leads to the disease pellagra which is characterized by bilateral dermatitis, glossitis, diarrhea, irritability and mental confusion.
VITAMIN C or ASCORBIC ACID - during pregnancy the ascorbic acid content of maternal blood decreases, while the fetal plasma values are higher than those of the mother. The fetus depends on the maternal and placental stores. If Vitamin C is deficient, symptoms of curvy may appear in the mother.
VITAMIN D - the main source of Vitamin D is the effect of ultraviolet light on the skin. So in tropical countries like us, deficiency rarely occurs since sufficient Vitamin D is obtained from exposure to sunlight and from the incidental digestion of small amount of preformed Vitamin D with food.
VITAMIN E - is the least toxic of the fat soluble vitamins that help prevents toxic free radicals to accumulate which could be harmful to the fetus.
VITAMIN A - is required for vision, growth, cellular differentiation and proliferation, reproduction and integrity of the immune system. Though the impact of Vitamin A deficiency. On human pregnancy outcome is unknown, excessive consumption of this vitamin appears to harmful to the fetus. According to Dr. Illescas, minerals like iron and calcium also plays a big part in pregnancy.
IRON - pregnant women require iron to replace basal losses to allow for expansion of the red cell mass and to provide for the needs of the fetus and placenta. During the first three months of pregnancy, women need iron only to replace basal losses since menstruation has ceased and the deposition of iron in fetal tissues at this time is minimal.
Since iron requirements are slight during first trimester, it is therefore, not necessary to provide supplemental iron during this time. Withholding iron supplementation during the first trimester avoids the risk of aggravating nausea and vomiting.
"The increased need for iron develops during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy when the deposition of iron in fetal and placental tissues and increase in red cell mass proceed at a rapid rate." Dr. Illescas said.
CALCIUM - serves as the main structural element of bones and teeth. The assumed obligatory maternal calcium excretion is 100mg a day, therefore the required absorption to meet this endogenous loss and the need of the fetus is 350-380mg a day.
Caution!
Excessive consumption of Vitamin A appears to cause varied congenital anomalies. This is usually present in dermatologic solutions therefore we tell our pregnant patients to avoid any dermatologic product with Retinoic acid or retinol during the whole stretch of pregnancy.
Separate supplements vs. multivitamin
"It depends upon the needs of each particular patient. Usually we give one prenatal multivitamin which contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals with the proper RDA for pregnant women."
"I personally give additional calcium and iron to meet their sufficient needs," Dr. Illescas said when a about which is more recommended.
Alternatives
Of course, we all know that not every woman can afford to buy those supplements and it is very hard to make end meets nowadays. For those pregnant women out there who are low in budget but still want to have healthy pregnancy Dr. Illescas has good news for you:
"[Although] The physiologic and metabolic demands of pregnancy increase vitamin requirements. The increased requirement for vitamins during pregnancy [with] the exception of folic acid], can [sill] be supplied by any general diet that provides adequate amounts of calories and protein."
Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin - milk, eggs, liver, heart, kidney, green leafy vegetables: malunggay, saluyot, sili leaves.
Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine.muscle meat, liver, vegetables, whole grain cereal, bawang, talbos ng malunggay, beef liver and salay-salay.
Niacin.meat, whole wheat and cereals
Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid.green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits Vitamin D.sunlight
Vitamin E.vegetable oil, margarine and shortening.
Getting enough vitamins during pregnancy need not to be costly with proper diet and these guidelines you are on your way to a healthy pregnancy. But of course, nothing beats consulting your trusty OB-Gyne to get prescriptions according to your specific needs.
Dr. Sheila Jane Labrador-Illescas can be reached through her mobile phone, (0917) 81 8-6888.
Katrina C. Guevarra is a student from The Manila Times School of Journalism
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