NUTRIENTS IMPORTANT IN THE EARLY STAGES OF FETAL

DEVELOPMENT

Introduction:Nutrients plays a critical role in fetal growth and development. According to the American
Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), pregnant women should have a diet
that consists of a variety foods including:

Proteins

Carbohydrates

Vitamins

Minerals

Fats

From these you should get the right nutrients and vitamins for pregnancy health and your
babys development.
The right vitamin supplements can be beneficial if you are not able to prepare healthy meals
regularly.
It is important to note that pregnant women should only take vitamin supplements on a health
care providers direct recommendation.
Supplements do not replace a healthy diet, but rather ensure that a woman is
receiving enough daily nutrients.

Vitamin supplements work best when taken as part of a healthy diet. It should be understood
that taking vitamins are by no means a substitute for a healthy diet.

Nutrients and Vitamins for Pregnancy

Essential
Vitamin/Mineral:

Why You Need It:

Where You Find It:

Vitamin A & Beta

Carotene (770 mcg)

Helps bones and teeth grow

Liver, milk, eggs, carrots, spinach, green

and yellow vegetables, broccoli,
potatoes, pumpkin, yellow fruits,
cantaloupe

Vitamin D (5 mcg)

Helps body use calcium and

phosphorus; promotes strong teeth and
bones

Milk, fatty fish, sunshine

Vitamin E (15 mg)

Helps body form and use red blood cells

and muscles

Vegetable oil, wheat germ, nuts, spinach,

fortified cereals

Vitamin C (80 85 mg)

An antioxidant that protects tissues

from damage and helps body absorb
iron; builds healthy immune system

Citrus fruits, bell peppers, green beans,

strawberries, papaya, potatoes, broccoli,
tomatoes

Thiamin/B1 (1.4 mg)

Raises energy level and regulates

nervous system

Whole grain, fortified cereals, wheat

germ, organ meats, eggs, rice, pasta,
berries, nuts, legumes, pork

Riboflavin/B2 (1.4 mg)

Maintains energy, good eyesight,

healthy skin

Meats, poultry, fish, dairy products,

fortified cereals, eggs

Niacin/B3 (18 mg)

Promotes healthy skin, nerves and

digestion

High-protein foods, fortified cereals and

breads, meats, fish, milk, eggs, peanuts

Pyridoxine/B6 (1.9 mg)

Helps form red blood cells; helps with

morning sickness

Chicken, fish, liver, pork, eggs, soybeans,

carrots, cabbage, cantaloupe, peas,
spinach, wheat germ, sunflower seeds,
bananas, beans, broccoli, brown rice,
oats, bran, peanuts,walnuts

Folic Acid/Folate (600

mcg)

Helps support the placenta, and

prevents spina bifida and other neural
tube defects

Oranges, orange juice, strawberries,

green leafy vegetables, spinach, beets,
broccoli, cauliflower, fortified cereals,
peas, pasta, beans, nuts

Calcium (1,000 1,300

mg)

Creates strong bones and teeth, helps

prevent blood clots, helps muscles and
nerves function

Yogurt, milk, cheddar cheese, calciumfortified foods like soy milk, juices,
breads, cereals, dark green leafy
vegetables, canned fish with bones

Iron (27 mg)

Helps in the production of hemoglobin;

prevents anemia, low birth weight, and
premature delivery

Beef, pork, dried beans, spinach, dried

fruits, wheat germ, oatmeal or grains
fortified with iron

Protein (71 g)

Helps in the production of amino acids;

repairs cells

Most animal foods, meat, poultry, eggs,

dairy products, veggie burgers, beans,
legumes, nuts

Zinc (11-12 mg)

Helps produce insulin and enzymes

Red meats, poultry, beans, nuts, whole

grains, fortified cereals, oysters, dairy
products

FETAL DEVELOPMENT
Fetal development requires the potential mother to be in a good state of physical and
emotional health both prior to, and during, her pregnancy. Furthermore, to adequately support
the development of her fetus, a mother must be able to provide it with sufficient energy and a
suitable mix of nutrients. Current research indicates that a womans ability to meet the needs
for fetal development is not related in any simple way to her current or immediate past
dietary intake, but is rather more dependent upon her general state of health. It thus follows
that factors other than patterns of dietary consumption at conception and throughout
pregnancy determine a mothers ability to nourish her fetus and it is these factors that are the
determinants of pregnancy outcomes. For instance, a mother who becomes pregnant at an
early age, before she has completed their own growth, has a limited ability to nourish her
fetus. Similarly, women who have poor obstetric support, suffer from infection(s), adopt
undesirable personal behaviour or experience a challenging social environment are less likely
to complete a healthy pregnancy. Within the wider context in which a pregnancy takes place,
the quality and capability of health-care delivery systems will determine to a large extent the
ability of a woman to carry a healthy pregnancy. In striving for optimal fetal development,
the first and immediate priority is then the provision of adequate baseline health care for all
mothers and children according to current WHO guidelines.

THE DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGINS THEORY

The scientific community is showing increasing interest in what is called the developmental
origins theory. This theory postulates that the nutritional environment in the womb affects
not only the risk of defects immediately apparent at birth, but also the lifelong risk of
degenerative disease.
Weston Price supported an early version of this theory in the 1930s and 1940s. In Nutrition
and Physical Degeneration, for example, he proposed that an increased risk of tuberculosis
was largely determined by a deformation of the chest cavity that began taking shape in the
womb and paralleled the deformation of the dental arch that causes crowded teeth. He also
demonstrated an association between delinquent behavior and deformities of the dental arch
and found the same association with non-delinquent but mentally retarded children as well. In
one case, he induced puberty and rapid mental development in a teenager by surgically
broadening his maxilla to stimulate his pituitary. The maxilla is the upper jaw bone; it is one

of the bones of the middle third of the face, which Price so often found underdeveloped in
people who grew up on modern foods.57
The modern developmental origins theory (described in greater detail in the sidebar on page
34) observes that birth weight is determined in part by embryonic and fetal nutrition; and low
birth weight is in turn associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood
pressure, diabetes and kidney disease. To explain these observations, the theory proposes that
poor nutrition during pregnancy causes changes in the growth and development of the
internal organs, which in turn affects the lifelong risk of degenerative disease. Since poor
nutrition during this period can result in lower birth weight, an indirect association between
birth weight and the risk of degenerative disease arises.58
The ideal birth weight according to these studies appears to be between 8.5 and 9.5 pounds.
These figures exclude infants whose birth weights are low because of premature delivery; it is
the rate of fetal growth, not the birth weight itself, that counts.59 The theory does not suggest
that the risk of disease is affected only by the rate of growth within the wombsimply that
the nutritional environment during this period makes an incomplete yet permanent
contribution to that risk.

NUTRITION FOR FETAL GROWTH

Genetics has little if anything to do with birth weight. A 1995 study examined 62 cases of egg
donor pregnancies. The birth weight of the baby was not correlated with the donors weight,
the donors birth weight, or the birth weights of the donors other children; it was, however,
correlated with the recipients weight.61 This study shows that birth weight is determined by
the environment that the womb provides rather than the genome present at conception.
An intake of meat protein below 25 grams per day during late pregnancy and an intake of
carbohydrate above 265 grams per day during early pregnancy are associated with a decrease
in birth weight. A low intake of animal protein relative to carbohydrate is also associated with
an increase of blood pressure at forty years of age.62 In order to obtain adequate glycine for
growth, meat and egg protein should be balanced with the liberal use of liver, skin, bone
broths, legumes and green vegetables.

The use of cod liver oil is independently associated with birth weight.43 Seven out of twelve
trials have shown folic acid supplementation to increase birth weight.50 Iron deficiency
compromises fetal growth,46 and a major deficiency in any vitamin or mineral is likely to do
the same.
In general, the role of vitamins and minerals in providing for robust fetal growth is
understudied and probably much more important than the scarcity of the available literature
would suggest.

QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY

Although the quantity of growth is a useful marker for the risk of disease, the determining
factor is the quality of growth. Choline may confer remarkable benefits to the developing
nervous system without having much of an impact on head circumference, and vitamin A
may provide for robust kidney function without having much of an impact on the size of the
waist or torso.
We must take the same care in preparing the human womb for the seed of life to be planted
therein that we take to prepare the womb of the earth for the seeds of the plant life from
which we and our animals will take nourishment. A generous intake of all nutrients
especially the fat-soluble vitamins, essential fatty acids, biotin, folate, choline and glycine
will supply the soil of the womb with everything the life developing within it needs for robust
and vigorous growth and a long, healthy life to come.
Pregnant women really do not need to "eat for two." Although a slight increase in calories
and nutrients is required to ensure proper fetal development and the mother's health, it is not
necessary to double your diet. In fact, the American Pregnancy Association reports that
calorie increases should not exceed 300 per day. As a pregnant woman, you will find that
each trimester or stage of pregnancy presents a new set of nutrition needs. If you are
pregnant, consult your obstetrician or physician before making any drastic dietary changes.

First Trimester

The University of Rochester Medical Center suggests that pregnant mothers in the first
trimester eat a healthy diet of 2,200 calories per day. During this stage of pregnancy, the
baby's heart and brain are beginning to develop, as is the placenta--the primary source of
nutrition and oxygen for the baby. Heidi Murkoff, author of the What to Expect book series
and website, writes in What to Expect: Eating Well When You're Expecting that vitamins B6
and A are important, as is folic acid. Folate and B6 are essential to your baby's healthy brain
development; vitamin A is necessary for your baby to develop healthy bones, teeth and eyes.
Murkoff also recommends iron--to baby's promote blood cell growth--and fiber, to provide
your baby energy and to prevent constipation for yourself.

Second Trimester
The university of Rochester Medical Center recommends an increase to 2,500 calories per
day during your second trimester, as this is the period when your baby will begin to grow
limbs and begin his or her largest period of growth. Murkoff writes that folate remains
important, as your baby's nervous system is now developing. Vitamin C becomes important
during this phase as well, due to its ability to convert into collagen. Collagen is the body's
largest source of connective tissues, including cartilage, muscles and the lowest layer of skin.
You will also want to increase your vitamin D consumption to promote strong bone growth in
your baby.

Third Trimester
With your baby growing at a rapid rate, it is important for you to stay hydrated. The energy
used by your baby during this period may lead you to overheat or get dehydrated. Both of
these conditions can be dangerous for your baby, so drinking copious amounts of water daily
is recommended. The University of Rochester Medical Center writes that a 2,500-calorie diet
will suffice, but you will want to concentrate on proteins because baby needs it for
development and you require it for energy. Murkoff writes that three servings of protein per
day are necessary to finish baby's brain development and shape your baby's face. Protein
derived from eggs and foods rich omega-3 fatty acids pack a 1-2 punch. Omega-3 fats are
high in docosahexaenoic acid, which assists in baby's brain and eye development.