Nutrition and Alcohol during Pregnancy
No Alcohol is the safest choice
Pregnancy is a time which brings much joy to most
families. However, most people have a tinge of anxiety and
hope that the baby will be born normal. There are things
we can consider and do instead of just hoping.
Do we really need to eat for two? The answer is no, but
pregnant women do require a slight increase in calorie
intake.
For Energy, there is no change in the First Trimester (first
12 weeks), in the Second Trimester (13-25 weeks) it
increases by 340 kcal/day and in the Third Trimester (2640 weeks), it increases by 452 kcal/day
The Protein requirement increases from 46 g/day to 71 g/
day.
Pregnant women are at increased risk for folic acid, iron,
and calcium deficiencies and it is important to have a
balanced diet to ensure inclusion of these nutrients.
The Recommendations are:
Iron – increases to 27 g/day
Folate – increases to 0.6 mg/day
Calcium - 1000 mg/day
Magnesium - increases to 360 mg/day
Vitamin C - increases to 85 mg/day
Dietary sources
Calcium
Milk, yogurt (8 oz), hard cheese (1 oz) ~ 300 mg
Calcium)
Orange juice- fortified (1 cup = 300 mg calcium)
Broccoli, kale (1 cup cooked = 90 mg calcium)
Bok Choy, mustard green (1 cup cooked =180 mg)
Tofu (made with calcium citrate- (½ cup =260 mg)
Canned salmon (3 oz = 180 mg calcium)
Folate
Beans, peas, orange juice, green leafy vegetables,
fortified cereals are good sources
Prenatal vitamins contain 1000 mg folate
Iron
Meat, fish, poultry, eggs
Organ meats (like liver and kidneys)
Peas and beans
Dried fruit
Whole grain and enriched cereal
If you need further assistance contact the Ngala Helpline
Telephone 9368 9368
country Access 1800 111 546
8am to 8pm 7 days a week
or see our website www.Ngala.com.au
It is not only what to include but also what to avoid.
Researchers are now telling us that nutritional factors
interact with alcohol, potentially exacerbating or
protecting against FASD (Foetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder).
Poor maternal nutrition is a significant problem in
FASD, as the nutrients essential to support foetal
development and preserve maternal health are often
deficient with heavy alcohol use, or even moderate use
especially if the mothers diet is already poor.
Heavy alcohol consumption is one of the leading
causes of both primary and secondary malnutrition,and
undernutrition is a common characteristic of mothers in
a majority of cases of FASD. Not only may a woman
who drinks during pregnancy consume inadequate
nutrition, but alcohol itself can compromise nutrient
absorption and utilization, including thiamin, folate,
pyridoxine, vitamin A, vitamin D, magnesium and zinc.
These insufficiencies are only compounded as alcohol
is placentotoxic, impairing the ability of the placenta to
deliver essential nutrients to the foetus.
Prenatal folic acid supplementation mitigates many of
alcohol’s teratogenic effects, including growth
retardation, physical anomalies, and neuronal loss
(Wang et al. 2009).
In conclusion, alcohol is known to cause foetal birth
defects, brain damage, poor growth, developmental
delays which leads to low IQ and learning difficulties
and social and behavioural problems in childhood and
beyond.
The foetal brain changes daily and there is no safe
time for alcohol consumption.
Therefore, no alcohol is the safest choice.
PRG No. 86