Daffodil International University

Faculty of Allied Health Sciences => Nutrition and Food Engineering => Topic started by: nfe fouzia on October 01, 2013, 03:44:36 PM

Title: Potentially harmful determinants during pregnancy
Post by: nfe fouzia on October 01, 2013, 03:44:36 PM
It is advised for pregnant women to pay special attention to food hygiene during pregnancy in addition to avoiding certain foods in order to reduce the risk of exposure to substances that may be harmful to the developing fetus. This can include food pathogens and toxic food components, alcohol, and dietary supplements such as vitamin A.

Dietary vitamin A is obtained in two forms which contain the preformed vitamin (retinol), that can be found in some animal products such as liver and fish liver oils, and as a vitamin A precursor in the form of carotenes, which can be found in many fruits and vegetables.[6] Intake of retinol, in extreme cases, has been linked to birth defects and abnormalities. However, regular intake of retinol is not seen as dangerous. It is noted that a 100 g serving of liver may contain a large amount of retinol, so it is best that it is not eaten daily during pregnancy, something which is also the same with alcohol intake in binge drinking.

Excessive amounts of alcohol have been proven to cause fetal alcohol syndrome. The World Health Organization recommends that alcohol should be avoided entirely during pregnancy, given the relatively unknown effects of even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy.

Pregnant women are advised to pay particular attention to food hygiene and to avoid certain foods during pregnancy in order to minimize the risk of food poisoning from potentially harmful pathogens such as listeria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella. Pregnant women are therefore advised to avoid foods in which high levels of the bacteria have been found, such as in soft cheeses. Listeria are destroyed by heat and therefore pregnant women are advised to reheat ready-prepared meals thoroughly. Pregnant women should also wash their fruit and vegetables very thoroughly in order to minimize risk. Salmonella poisoning is most likely to come from raw eggs or undercooked poultry. Maternal obesity has a significant impact on maternal metabolism and offspring development. Insulin resistance, glucose homeostasis, fat oxidation and amino acid synthesis are all disrupted by maternal obesity and contribute to adverse outcomes. Modification of lifestyle is an effective intervention strategy for improvement of maternal metabolism and the prevention of adverse outcomes.
Title: Re: Potentially harmful determinants during pregnancy
Post by: tasnuva on October 08, 2013, 01:51:20 PM
Very helpful post mam. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Potentially harmful determinants during pregnancy
Post by: fahmidasiddiqa on November 14, 2013, 02:02:40 PM
:)
Title: Re: Potentially harmful determinants during pregnancy
Post by: shimo on November 18, 2013, 06:32:59 PM
Thanks for your informative post.
Title: Re: Potentially harmful determinants during pregnancy
Post by: Ferdousi Begum on November 19, 2013, 02:57:34 PM
Will be helpful for future...  ;)
Title: Re: Potentially harmful determinants during pregnancy
Post by: Farhana Israt Jahan on November 20, 2013, 01:27:37 PM
Very helpful post. Most of the woman does not know the harmful effect of Vit A during pregnancy.Obviously Vit A is important for your baby's embryonic growth – including the development of the heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes, and bones, and the circulatory, respiratory, and central nervous systems. But, it is important during pregnancy not to get too much of the preformed vitamin A, which in high doses can cause birth defects and liver toxicity.

Vitamin A rich foods are-
 - Liver of any animal
 - Carrot
 - Pumpkin
 - Sweet potato
 - Spinach
 - Leafy greens such as lettuce, kale etc
 - Squash
 - Red Pepper, Chili Powder
 - Dried apricots
 - Papaya etc.