Vitamin requirements during pregnancy

Vitamins are just to be catalysts for many chemical reactions in the body and the supply should be sufficient amounts during pregnancy.

Vitamin C plays a role in collagen formation, hormone synthesis, and proper immune function. Increase vitamin C intake also positively affects the absorption of iron – another nutrient critical for a healthy baby.

Because the formation of the nervous system occurs during the first few weeks of regency, before a woman know she is pregnant, all women of childbearing age are well advised to include at least 400 micrograms of folic acids.

Deficiency during pregnancy may lead to easy rupture of fetal membrane and increased newborn mortality rate.

Vitamin A is essential and a key nutrient for normal reproduction function, and it can be obtain by it eating green vegetables and deep yellow or orange fruits and vegetables.

It plays important roles in reactions involved in cell differentiation.

Taking excessive amounts of vitamin A can cause kidney and brain malformations in baby and therefore should be avoided.

However deficiency that occurs early in pregnancy can produce malfunction of fetal lungs urinary tract and heart.

For vitamin K, it usually present in small amounts in human milk. Fetal stores of vitamin K protect the infant as does the prophylactic dose usually given at birth, until the newborn receives sufficient milk from the mother and the child’s intestine matures enough to manufacture its own.

Altered maternal metabolism, the growth of the fetus and additional storage of some vitamins in the placenta, in particular vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C and folic acid, increase vitamin requirements during pregnancy.
Vitamin requirements during pregnancy

B Vitamins – Thiamin and Riboflavin

B Vitamins – Thiamin and Riboflavin
Thiamin
The B vitamins are water soluble. Thiamin – vitamin B1 is involved in all bodily oxidations that lead to the formation of carbon dioxide. It is necessary for nerve function, appetite, and normal digestion. It is also required for growth, fertility, and lactation. The symptoms of vitamin deficiency are retardation of growth, palpitation and enlargement of the heart, hypertension, and beriberi. The various effects of a disturbance of the nerve centers such as forgetfulness or difficulty in thinking are other manifestations of vitamin B1 deficiency. The vitamin is often lacking in the diet because much of the naturally occurring amounts of it in food are destroyed during the processing of the food. The adult requirement of vitamin B1 is related to the food (calorie) intake. Fresh pork is an excellent source of vitamin B1 and the heart, liver, and kidneys of pork, beef and lamb are fair sources.

Riboflavin
Riboflavin – vitamin B2 is water soluble. This vitamin makes up a part of enzyme systems involved in the oxidation and reduction of different materials in the body. Deficiency of riboflavin generally results in growth retardation and may result in vision impairment, sealing of the skin, and lesions on mucous tissue. Neuritis is another deficiency effect. The minimum intake of riboflavin for an adult is about 2.0mg per day. The liver and kidney of pork, beef, and lamb are excellent sources of riboflavin, and the heart of these animals is a good source. Fair amounts of riboflavin are found in the muscular tissues of pork, beef, and lamb, while more is found in veal.
B Vitamins – Thiamin and Riboflavin