The newest OB-GYN guidelines will make you rethink your childhood spent noshing on mac and cheese.
Trying to get pregnant? Then you’re probably popping prenatal vitamins, laying off the sushi and extra-large lattes, and generally watching what you eat in the name of fertility and healthy babies.
But, according to new OB-GYN guidelines from the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, or FIGO, it’s not just what you eat once you’re “trying” that affects your fertility and future baby’s health. It turns out, what you eat as a child also influences your chances of getting pregnant – and of having a healthy pregnancy and baby – decades later.
Why does your nutrition as a little girl affect your ability to have little boys and girls later on? Simply put, because decades before you try to put a bun in your oven, the oven’s already built and preheating. “By the time a girl is born, she has all of the eggs that she will have in her lifetime,” explains Laura A. Coleman, a pediatric nutrition scientist at Abbott, which offers nutrition education for registered dietitians and other health care professionals. “It is possible for egg quality to be impacted by exposures, like nutrition, at any point, from a woman’s own conception and birth to the time she conceives her own children.”
For instance, childhood nutrition influences a woman’s risk of developing gestational hypertension and diabetes during pregnancy, or delivering early, both of which can negatively affect her children’s health well into adulthood, explains Fionnuala McAuliffe, co-author of the new FIGO guidelines and professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at National Maternity Hospital Dublin.
And previous research from the University of Nottingham notes that childhood nutrition can influence maternal-fetal health by raising one’s likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome before or during pregnancy. Poor nutrition and weight gain are leading causes of metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors – such as high blood sugar and low HDL (good) cholesterol – that raise your risk for health problems such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and stroke. But metabolic syndrome is also associated with fertility problems and, according to the International Diabetes Foundation, can raise the risk of developing potentially fatal pre-eclampsia during pregnancy.
It’s never too late, though, to start improving your nutrition to increase your fertility, McAuliffe says. And, if you already have daughters, it’s never too early to make sure they get the nutrients they need to become happy, healthy moms. (In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics also just released new guidelines encouraging pediatricians to talk to their patients about childhood nutrition.) Luckily, the new FIGO guidelines have ID’ed the six vitamins that girls and women of all ages need for healthy pregnancies – but often don’t get enough of. So read on and eat up!
Iron. While women of all ages can skimp on this vitamin, iron deficiency is especially common in women of childbearing age, as menstrual blood loss can cause the body’s iron levels to decrease, according to McAuliffe. Also, during pregnancy, women often need more iron to support their growing baby. The best sources include meats, soybeans, fortified cereals, lentils and spinach, Coleman says.
Iodine. Without enough iodine, children can suffer from poor cognitive development. And while iodized salt can increase your iodine intake, that’s not an excuse to start pouring salt on everything you eat. Instead, start eating more seafood, a leading source of dietary iodine, as well as dairy, whole grains, eggs and poultry, Coleman advises.
Folate. Low folate intake is linked to birth defects of the brain, spine and spinal cord, Coleman says. And data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows that women of childbearing age and non-Hispanic black women are at the greatest risk of deficiency. Turn to whole wheat, lentils, beans, spinach, asparagus, beef and, if needed, supplements, to get the folate you need.
B12. Frequently lacking in vegetarians and vegans, B12 is most often found in animal-based foods such as meat, eggs and dairy, as well as fortified cereals. And if you are low in B12, your baby will be, too, as B12 crosses the placenta and is found in breast milk, according to Coleman. Deficiencies can lead to neurological deficits.
Calcium. Every woman needs calcium to keep her bones – and those of her growing babies – strong. But without enough, women are also at an increased risk of hypertensionduring pregnancy. To get more calcium, turn to dairy, sardines and spinach, Coleman says.
Vitamin D. While fish, egg yolks, shiitake mushrooms and D-fortified varieties of dairy, tofu and breakfast cereals do contain a decent amount of the sunshine vitamin, most of what we get is from sun exposure, McAuliffe says. So if you’re deficient, you may need to talk to your doctor about taking a supplement – especially in the winter.
Written for Health.USnews.com