Normal and Therapeutic Nutrition

Normal and Therapeutic Nutrition 3(2+1)

Lesson 10:Maternal Nutrition

Impact of nutritional deficiency on pregnancy

Nutrient	Impact of deficiency on the
	Mother	Infant
Energy and protein	Abortion Complications during delivery Ketosis May not gain enough weight to have normal lactation Pregnancy induced hypertension	Premature infant Low birth weight infant Less brain cells
Linoleic Acid		Retarded foetal growth
Calcium	Muscular cramps Repeated pregnancy with poor diet can result in osteomalacia During lactation breast milk may be deficient in calcium	Calcification of bones and teeth is decreased Underweight due to the decreased foetal bone growth.
Iron	Hypochromic microcytic anaemia. Complications during delivery	Born with less stores of iron and susceptible to anaemia.
Iodine	Goitre Increased risk of miscarriage and still birth	Chance of getting goitre Cretinism
Zinc	Foetal mortality Foetal malformations including central nervous system and terato-genecity	Reduced intra uterine growth rate Low birth weight Preterm baby
Vitamin A	Mortality Pregnancy induced hypertension	Decreased levels in foetus so more susceptible far Vitamin A deficiency
Vitamin D	Decreased calcium absorption	Calcium metabolism of foetus is affected
Vitamin K	Decreased prothrombin synthesis Increased loss of blood during delivery	Increased risk of neonatal haemorrhage
Thiamine, Riboflavin and Niacin	Deficiency symptoms
Folic acid	Megaloblastic anaemia Abruptio placentae Pregnancy induced hypertension	Foetal malformation Neural tube defects spinabifida congenital abnormalities like harelip, cleft palate, hydrocephalus Low birth weight
Vitamin B 12	Pernicious anaemia	Premature baby
Vitamin C	Premature rupture of foetal membrane	Increased neonatal death rate