Pregnancy and Micronutrients
The demand for both
energy and nutrients is increased during pregnancy[i].
Requirement for many, but not all, micronutrients increase during pregnancy.
Deficiencies exist because of:
-
Losses or malabsorption associated with disease or inadequate
intakes
-
Lack of knowledge about adequate prenatal nutrition
-
Dietary taboos associated with pregnancy[ii]
This leads to potential
adverse consequences for both mother and newborn infants.
Nutrient requirements
during pregnancy are usually calculated by adding an increment to the value of
non-pregnant and non-lactating women that covers the cost of foetal growth and
development and the associated changes in maternal tissue metabolism.
Table
1 presents the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) of micronutrients for
adolescent girls, pregnant women in their third trimester taken from National
Research Council (NRC) [iii],
the Institute of Medicine [iv],
and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World
Health Organization (FAO/WHO) [v],[vi],[vii],[viii],[ix].
Table
1: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for adolescent girls, non-pregnant and
non-lactating women and pregnant women 1
1.NRC, National Research Council22;
IOM, Institute of Medicine3,4;
FAO/WHO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health
Organization; RE, Retinol Equivalents, α-TE, - α-tocopherol
equivalents; NE, niacine equivalents
2 Percentage increased is based on FAO/WHO values
3 Values in the FAO/WHO columns are from ref. 5
4 Adequate intake
5 Values in the FAO/WHO columns are from ref 6
6 Values in the FAO/WHO columns are from ref 7
7 Zinc concentrations for adolescent girls and non-pregnant, non-lactating women
are based on normative requirements X representative body weight
8 Estimated safe and adequate dietary intake
9 Values in the FAO/WHO columns are from reference 8
10 Values in the FAO/WHO columns are from reference9
The percentage increase
in dietary allowances for pregnant adults over non reproducing women is also
shown. This is based on FAO/WHO values because these are used in most developing
countries.
References
[i]
Picciano MF. Pregnancy and
lactation. In: Ziegler
EE, Filer LJ, eds. Present
knowledge in nutrition. Washington,DC: ILSI Press,
1996: 384–95.
[ii]
GittelsohnJ,Thapa M, Landman LT. Cultural
factors, caloric intake and micronutrient sufficiency in rural Nepali
household. Soc Sci Med 1997;44:1739–49.
[iii]
Institute of Medicine Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999.
[iv]
Institute of Medicine.
Dietary reference intakes. Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate,
vitamin B-12, pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline. Washington,
[v]
Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations. Calcium requirements. Report of a joint
FAO/WHO Expert Consultation. Rome: FAO, 1962. (FAO Nutrition Meeting Report
no. 30.)
[vi]
Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, World Health Organization. Requirements
for vitamin A, iron, folate, and vitamin B-12. Report of a joint FAO/WHO
Expert Consultation.
[vii]
World Health Organization.
Trace elements in human nutrition and heath. Geneva: WHO, 1996.
[viii]
World Health Organization.
Handbook of nutritional requirements. Geneva: WHO, 1974.
[ix]
Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, World Health Organization. Requirements
of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. Report of a joint FAO/WHO
Expert Group. Rome: FAO, 1985.
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