This Impact of Malnutrition During Pregnancy

The body needs balanced nutrition with adequate intake of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and be able to prevent various diseases. Similarly, during pregnancy, pregnant women need to consume enough nutrition to prevent various diseases, both in infants or herself. Especially during pregnancy, the nutritional conditions of pregnant women need more attention, because it plays an important role for fetal development, as well as for the health of pregnant women themselves. Failure to pay attention to nutritional needs, can cause malnutrition during pregnancy and increase the risk of pregnancy.

Various Impacts of Malnutrition in Pregnant Women that Need to be Cautioned

Women who experience poor nutrition or vitamin deficiencies during pregnancy can cause various health problems. The following are the various effects of malnutrition on pregnant women:

• Neural tube defects in the fetus

Folate or vitamin B9 is a type of vitamin that women need during pregnancy. Without adequate folate intake, the fetus is at risk of developing disorders. Consumption of 400 mg of folate a day during pregnancy can reduce the risk of babies experiencing neural tube defects, such as anencephaly and spina bifida. Nerve tube defects are conditions where the baby has central nervous development problems, including the spinal cord and the brain.

• Gastroschisis

Poor nutrition, lack of zinc, protein, and smoking habits during pregnancy can cause the baby to be born with gastrochisis. In this condition, there is a hole in the baby's abdomen until some of the contents of the stomach come out through the hole. Usually this disorder is accompanied by birth defects

• Congenital heart disease

Avoid foods that contain saturated fat, and multiply foods that contain vitamins B2 and B3. Lack of these vitamins can increase the risk of babies born with congenital heart disease.

• Harelip

Inadequate nutrition during pregnancy, as well as lack of intake of vitamin A and folic acid, can trigger problems in the development of the baby's lips and upper oral cavity. This results in the baby being born with a cleft lip, or with the lips and palate of the oral cavity not completely closed.

• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia

This condition is a congenital defect that causes the baby's diaphragm is not formed properly. As a result, some of the stomach penetrates into the chest cavity. Women who during pregnancy lack selium, calcium, vitamin E, vitamin B12, and retinol, have a greater risk of giving birth to children with congenital diaphragmatic hernias.

Apart from the above effects, the weight of pregnant women who are too low and experiencing poor nutrition during pregnancy can also trigger premature births and IUGR (stunted baby growth in the fetus). It is important to try to avoid malnutrition when you are pregnant. Do not let you lack of vitamins and minerals needed by the body. But that also doesn't mean you can overeat, because you think that you eat for two people. Enough to meet the necessary nutrients and regularly check the health of the fetus during pregnancy.