Expert Advice on Do's and Don'ts for Pregnant and Postpartum Women

Author: Li Xingchun, Wang Liru
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Pregnant women need to increase nutrition
The significance of pregnant women needing to increase nutrition lies in the following aspects:
① Ensuring the health of the pregnant woman;
② Ensuring the normal growth and development of the fetus;
③ Facilitating postpartum breastfeeding;
④ Facilitating delivery and postpartum physical recovery.
By the time of delivery, a pregnant woman's weight is approximately 9 to 13.5 kilograms higher than before pregnancy. This weight gain must come from the pregnant woman's diet. The caloric intake of a pregnant woman is about 25% higher than that of a normal woman to maintain her metabolism and the growth and development of the fetus, as well as to prepare for the energy demands of delivery and the breastfeeding period. The nutritional status of a pregnant woman directly affects the development and health of the fetus. A lack of protein, vitamins, and trace elements may affect the number of brain cells in the fetus, which is closely related to the intellectual development at birth. Nutritional deficiencies in pregnant women can also lead to miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, and are one of the reasons for poor fetal development, malformations, low birth weight, high neonatal morbidity, and mortality. Poor nutrition in pregnant women fails to lay the foundation for breastfeeding after birth, resulting in insufficient milk supply or inadequate breastfeeding, which directly affects the infant's development and leads to poor growth. Insufficient nutrition in pregnant women weakens their physical condition, making delivery more difficult and potentially causing dystocia or prolonged labor. Postpartum recovery is also significantly affected. Therefore, paying attention to dietary nutrition is a necessary condition for ensuring the health of the pregnant woman and the normal development of the offspring, as well as an important measure to achieve healthy reproduction and improve population quality. P2