Question

Malinda and her husband are planning for their first child and are meeting with a dietitian for advice on dietary changes to make to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Malinda is 26 years old, 5’ 4” tall and weighs 156 lbs. She’s relatively healthy with just borderline insulin resistance according to her doctor. Unfortunately, neither she nor her husband cook, so they rely heavily on packaged meals and fast food, and both enjoy an alcoholic drink a couple of times a week.

Question: In this scenario, you are the nutrition expert. Based upon what Malinda has told you about her eating habits, identify two nutrients that are important to fetal growth and development that may not be adequate in her diet. Explain the potential outcome of deficiency in these nutrients and make suggestions on how to improve Malinda’s diet. You will need to defend your answer using specific facts, data, and other information drawn from the textbook and at least one other supplemental source.

Answer 1

Folic acid is a pregnancy superhero! Taking a prenatal vitamin with the recommended 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid before and during pregnancy can help prevent birth defects of the baby's brain and spinal cord.

Iron is another important nutrient required for the fetal growth of red blood cells. Iron also helps move oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body and to the baby's.

Severe anaemia during pregnancy increases the risk of premature birth, having a low birth weight baby and postpartum depression. Spina bifida is a serious birth defect which results when there is a folic acid deficiency in which a baby's spine does not develop correctly and can result in some severe physical disabilities.

Folate can be found in whole foods such as leafy vegetables, eggs, and citrus fruits. Foods rich in red meats, fish, and poultry, meat, poultry, and seafood contain both heme and non-heme iron.

Thus Melinda should immediately start cooking or rely on home-cooked food prepared by other, quit alcohol, fast food and rely upon fresh, vegetables, fruits and fresh meat or poultry to gain the adequate nutrition to conceive her child.