Pregnancy and a Healthy Diet

Can what we are exposed in utero, have any effects on our health as a child and into adulthood? What makes some people predisposed to being overweight or anxious or asthmatic? Or how about heart disease, depression or cancer? Our healthy lifestyle and eating choices we make as an adult can make a difference in how we feel, but does the quantity of nutrition you receive in the womb play a part in our health once born? Many studies show that your mother’s health, nutrition, stress level and state of mind while she was pregnant with you, all shape you as a child and continue into your adult life!

The Right Diet When Pregnant

The Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, states, "Poor prenatal experience sows the seeds of ailments that afflict adults". This makes the womb a perfect target for prevention, raising hopes of conquering heart disease, obesity and other life-threatening diseases through interventions before birth! It’s been thought for many years that heart disease was supposed to be all about genetics or our adult lifestyle. But David Barker, a British Physician recorded evidence of the connections between low birth weight and heart disease in many thousands of individuals. At least 24 similar studies have been conducted since then and it is one of the most solidly replicated findings in the field of public health!

Health Diets for Pregnancy

Diabetes is another disease that is on the rise and effecting more than 125,000 youth in the United States with about 13,000 new cases reported each year. Exposure to maternal diabetes in utero appears to disrupt the developing metabolism of the fetus, predisposing it to diabetes and obesity. If we could intensively control diabetic women’s blood sugar during pregnancy, we could really bring down the number of children who go on to developing diabetes.

Another line of research is developing interventions aimed at preventing disease. David Williams, a principal investigator for a study at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregan State University, is testing certain substances that when consumed during pregnancy can provide offspring with life-long chemoprotecton for illness. He predicts that one day, pregnant women will be prescribed a dietary supplement that will protect their future children from cancer.

Pregnancy Diet

So not only is good nutrition important during pregnancy for Mom’s health and well being, but also the future health of their unborn child into his or her adult life. Eating a diet packed with essential nutrients and full of fiber, fruits and vegetables are an important part of any healthy diet and should be in abundance while you’re pregnant.

What to Eat When Pregnant?

Unique Ultrasound highly values the importance of your health as well as your unborn baby’s health and believe that educating Moms about whole food based nutrition is the most important thing we can do.

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