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Pregnancy Nutrition
Poor Quality Pregnancy Multi In Fancy Packaging
Most prenatal and pregnancy supplements on the market contain very low dose and poor quality forms of vitamins and minerals that simply cannot deliver as hyped.
They are also loaded with fillers, binders, lubricants, artificial colours and sweeteners, preservatives,used to increase profitability for companies but having detrimental effects on our health.
Adequate maternal micronutrient status is especially critical during pregnancy and lactation. The sad truth is that many supplements widely advertised, and prescribed by your doctor contain cheap ingredients, making them difficult to be absorbed by your body or your baby.
So really, what is the point of taking them?
Breastfeeding – Food For You, Food For Two
You’re not finished eating for two quite yet.
If you are a nursing mother, you do not only eat for the sake of your own health but also for the health of your baby.
Good nutrition is therefore just as important for your baby as it is for you.
Eating a healthy, well balanced diet is essential to replenish your nutrient stores. What you eat determines the energy, protein, nutrient and vitamin content of your breast milk.
Making a Healthy Baby
You are about to embark on one of the most important journeys of your life…
The creation of a new, unique and very special little person. This is a very exciting and sometimes overwhelming time.
You can have a very positive affect on your fertility, the course of your pregnancy, the birth and the health of your baby by making wise and informative lifestyle, dietary and supplement choices.
This is very important for both parents, particularly in the preconception time.
Eating Badly During Pregnancy Increases Your Child’s Long Life Obesity Risk
Scientists have discovered that a mother’s nutrition during pregnancy can strongly influence her child’s risk of obesity many years later.
An international study, led by University of Southampton researchers and including teams from New Zealand and Singapore, has shown for the first time that during pregnancy, a mother’s diet can alter the function of her child’s DNA.
The process, called epigenetic change, can lead to her child tending to lay down more fat. Find out how to give your child a head start and reduce their obesity risk in later life…
Pregnancy Medication Use Found to Increase Risk of Childhood Asthma & Allergies
The prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases has significantly increased, particularly in children and young adults in the developed world during the last half century.
Among factors such as the environment, genetics and nutrition, research suggests that one of the reasons for this increase is prenatal exposure to certain medications.
Paracetamol and antibiotics are two main medications which have been found to alter the natural immune development of infants and children, both pre-natally and during early life.
Read on to find out more about these important findings on maternal medication use to make the best health decisions for you and your baby!
Fish Oil During Pregnancy Leads to Smart Babies
Women who take fish oil during pregnancy may give birth to children with improved hand-eye coordination, language skills and behaviour, an Australian study has suggested.
The positive effects of omega-3’s for cognitive development and learning difficulties has been well documented, and this research adds to the expanding list of benefits fish oil has for practically everyone.
Omega-3s Help Mums Reduce Baby Allergies
Taking fish oil capsules during pregnancy could help women with a family history of eczema to avoid passing on the condition to their children.
Researchers at the Women's and Children's Health Research Institute in South Australia, have found mothers with babies at high risk of allergic disease can reduce the risk of their children developing eczema by 36% and the risk of being sensitised to egg by 38%.
These results were the results of a large trial were pregnant women were given 800mg DHA and 100mg EPA daily from 21 weeks of pregnancy until birth.
The results echo those from a previous trial in Sweden in 2009, which found that mothers given fish oil capsules were three times less likely than untreated to pass on eczema to their children.
Other potential treatments under development for eczema include beneficial bacteria incorporated into probiotic yogurts.
Research Insight – Probiotics Found To Provide Breast Relief
Lactational mastitis, a common condition affecting up to 20% of breast feeding women in the first six months postpartum, can be an extremely painful and frustrating ailment.
While conventional treatment approaches include antibiotic and analgesic medications which are not optimal for the health of the mother or baby, new research has found that probiotic supplementation can provide significant relief for lactational mastitis with more than 85% of women experiencing a complete recovery from the condition.
Choline Intake During Pregnancy Lowers Stress Levels In Children
Imagine knowing that you could set your children up to better cope with stress for the rest of their lives before they are even born!
New research shows that this may actually be possible – A recent study published in the FASEB Journal has found that maternal intake of choline, a nutrient in the B-vitmain group, may modify certain foetal genes to cause sustainable alternations in the stress response throughout the life course.
Foetal epigenetic programming is becoming a more popular and widely researched topic as we all want to provide our children with the best start to life and health.
This study highlights the fact that certain nutrients can significantly influence the way foetal genes express (function) for sustainable and positive health benefits.
Mama’s Milk or Formula- Is Breast Best?
Breast milk is a ‘live’ food that contains antibodies, hormones, active enzymes, and at least 400 other unique components.
It is a dynamic substance, the composition of which changes according to the age and needs of the baby.
As breast milk also provides active immunity, every time a baby breast feeds it also receives protection from disease.
Compared to this miraculous substance, the artificial milk sold as infant formula is little more than junk food.
