"Our bodies take a long time to replenish such heavy loss of iron. Pregnant
women particularly need more iron to cope with the demands of the growing
baby and placenta”, says Vasundhara Singh, assistant dietician, All India
Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi."
A study released by Harvard Health Centre in November 2008, confirms that
iron deficiency anemia is quite prevalent in pregnant women. Women, who are
in their reproductive age, are especially prone to this ailment due to the
monthly loss of blood from menstruation, besides other effects of pregnancy.
Understanding anemia:
Anemia is the inability of the red blood cells to carry sufficient oxygen.
This is often attributed to an abnormally low level of hemoglobin. This is
the iron-imbued, protein-based pigment in our blood cells that carry oxygen
from the lungs to cells throughout the body.
"Poor food choices and lack of iron and vitamin B-12 in the diet lead to
anemia. Conditions such as pregnancy, diarrhea, intestinal disease and
mal-absorptive diseases increase the need for Fe, B-12 and folate, which are
important nutrients to prevent anemia", says Smitha Suresh, clinical
dietician at Nexicon-Health, Dallas, United States.
Normally, the recommended daily intake of iron for an adult woman is 18mg
per day. During pregnancy, this increases to 27mg per day, due to the rise
in maternal blood volume. Additional iron is for your baby, for the first
few months.
Beside, having low iron stores, the risk of developing anemia during
pregnancy, may also increase if you are suffering from frequent vomiting due
to morning sickness, shorter than ideal time gap between two pregnancies, or
if you are carrying twins or multiples. Even if you had a heavy menstrual
flow prior to pregnancy you can be on a risk of having Anemia.
Since generally, women do have low iron stores, it has become a standard
practice to evaluate them for anemia right at the first prenatal
appointment. Evaluation requires two blood tests. These tests are repeated
then between the 24th and 28th week of your pregnancy, as it is more likely
that a woman will develop anemia later in pregnancy.
Risk to the Baby
Experiencing anemia during the first or second trimester increases your risk
of preterm labor, while your baby is more likely to be born with a low birth
weight. Women, who develop a severe iron deficiency, increase their child’s
risk of developing anemia during infancy.
In addition to, making you feel exhausted and lowering your body’s ability
to fight illness, developing anemia late in pregnancy may also cause
problems when you give birth, particularly if you end up losing a lot of
blood. Anemia increases the chances of blood transfusion and can produce
symptoms that require you to stay in the hospital a bit longer after birth.
Getting rid of it
Iron is the most needed nutrient to nip anemia from its bud. There are many
iron rich foods that make up a healthy diet. Tofu, eggs, leafy green
vegetables, legumes, broccoli, whole-grain bread, iron-fortified cereals and
dried fruits like raisins, dates and apricots are all wholesome iron rich
foods.
For non-vegetarians, fish, red meat and poultry can be added to the diet.
One must remember that the body easily absorbs iron from meat sources than
non-flesh sources. To help with iron absorption from non-flesh foods, have a
glass of orange juice or eat another source of food that is high in Vitamin
C, along with your iron rich food.
Consuming too much vitamin A during pregnancy has been linked to birth
defects. This is why many women are advised to avoid getting extra vitamin
A, while they are pregnant. However, it is also important to note that there
are actually two forms of vitamin A: retinol and beta-carotene.
Beta-carotene sources of vitamin A are thought to be safe during pregnancy
while retinol is not.
It must be understood that if you are healthy, only then can you give birth
to a healthy baby. Therefore, to do so, you must try to eat right. As was
rightly said by Greek physician, Hippocrates, “Let thy food be thy medicine
and thy medicine be thy food”.
