Pregnant Women Need Nutrients for Healthy Baby: Know Why

Introduction

It is essential for a woman to consume enough nutrients before getting pregnant so that the body can be able to absorb what it needs and reserve the extra ones to prepare for the growing baby. Additionally, it is also crucial for expectant women to maintain a healthy diet since the baby development starts from the embryo and if the fetus is healthy, then the baby will be healthy ("Importance of Healthy Eating"). The nutrition status of a woman plays a significant role during the formation of the placenta and the fetus.

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Importance of Folate, Iron and Increase in Pregnancy

Folic acid is essential because it helps with baby's health by preventing neural tube defects which are brought about by a lack of folic acid. Folic acid helps in forming the neural tube which firms the brain and spinal code so lack of enough folic acid may cause paralysis or some part of the brain might miss during formation (Marks). Iron plays a critical role during the development of the baby's brain. Lack of enough iron may slow the growth of the nervous system; hence the ability of the baby to comprehend sound is compromised. Iodine is important due to the increase in production of maternal thyroid hormone by 50 % (Marks). Lack of enough iodine can lead to attention deficiency for baby and mental retardation.

Recommended Physical Activities During Pregnancy

It is healthy for pregnant women to exercise during pregnancy, although they are expected to exercise not all exercises are safe and recommended. Some of the exercises are intense and may be uncomfortable and dangerous to the women and the baby including games like playing hockey, baseball or soccer ("Exercise During Pregnancy"). Additionally, such as skating, horse riding, and skiing are not safe for pregnant women because they can lead to falls resulting in physical injuries and affecting the baby as well.

Nutrient-Dense Snacks Appropriate for Toddlers

Babies are supposed to eat foods that are highly nutritious to get enough nutrients for development. Some of the nutrient-dense snacks for toddlers include yogurt which contains calcium good for bone development and also contains proteins. It is advisable to feed toddlers with plain yogurt and avoid the use of flavoured ones since the latter contain added sugars that are not safe (Epstein). Nuts are another snack that has high levels of healthy fats which supports the baby's growth, antioxidants, and fiber. During breakfast, t is also advisable to give babies oatmeal which is a great snack with milk. It contains a lot of soluble fiber good which is not easily digested, so the baby stays energized for long.

Vitamins and Minerals Low in Teenagers' Diets

Most teenagers do not take enough fruits, seafood such as fish, diaries such as milk and vegetables which are the primary sources of minerals and vitamins (Solan). Teenagers prefer sweetened drinks such as sodas compared to healthy drinks like milk and yogurt; they also prefer fast foods such as chips which contain unhealthy fats. They do not like fruits in their diets; hence their diet lacks.

Factors Influencing School-age Children Food Choices

School-age children need to take healthy foods and snacks that are nutritious. Various factors influence their food choices such as what they see in the media mostly in TV, what they observe from families and friends, the availability of certain foods and the food and snacks that are easily accessible ("Children's Health").

Factors Contributing to Obesity

Obesity can be caused by various factors. Some of these factors include genetic factors; one may contain inherent obesity genes from their parents during birth. Another one adopting unhealthy eating habits, and also not exercising may cause obesity.

Physiological Changes Associated with Normal Ageing

A lot of physiological changes happen during normal aging. For instance, the cardiac output decreases with aging, the blood pressure increases with aging; the weight and volume of the kidneys have a significant decrease. Also, the size of the bladder decrease as one gets older (Boss and Seegmiller 432). As a person gets older, the esophagus muscles are affected; hence the swallowing process is also affected.

Works Cited

Boss, Gerry R., and J. Edwin Seegmiller. "Age-Related Physiological Changes And Their Clinical Significance." Western Journal of Medicine 135.6 (1981): 434. Web. 1 May 2019.

"Default - Stanford Children's Health." Stanfordchildrens.org. Web. 1 May 2019.

Epstein, Varda. "Nutrient Dense Diet: The New Old Way To Eat - Kars4kids Smarter Parenting." Kars4Kids Smarter Parenting. N.p., 2018. Web. 1 May 2019.

"Exercise During Pregnancy." Marchofdimes.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 1 May 2019.

"Importance Of Healthy Eating Before And During Pregnancy - Healthengine Blog." HealthEngine Blog. N.p., 2010. Web. 1 May 2019.

Marks, Staci. "8 Nutrients Most Essential For Fetal Development." Healthinsurancequotes.org. N.p., 2012. Web. 1 May 2019.

Solan, Matthew. "The Best Foods For Vitamins And Minerals - Harvard Health." Harvard Health. N.p., 2019. Web. 1 May 2019.