Nutrition Tips for Pregnancy

A pregnant mother eats for two,her baby and herself.

Did you know that a baby’s teeth begin to develop between the third and sixth months of pregnancy?

 That's why making smart food choices now can help set your child up to have a happy and healthy smile for life. IDA recommends that during your pregnancy a sufficient quantity of nutrients—especially vitamins A,B, C, and D, protein, calcium and phosphorous—are needed.

List of tips to follow during pregnancy:

• Eat a variety of healthy foods, such as fruits; vegetables; whole- grain products such as cereals, breads or crackers; and dairy products like milk, cheese, cottage cheese or unsweetened yogurt.
• Refrain from foods high in sugar, including candy, cookies, cake, and dried fruit; and avoid beverages high in sugar, including juice, fruit- flavored drinks, or soft drinks.
• For snacks, choose foods low in sugar such as fruits, vegetables and unsweetened yogurt.
• Read the nutritional content on food products to choose foods low in sugar.
• If you have trouble with nausea, try eating small amounts of healthy foods throughout the day and
• Drink water or milk instead of juice, fruit-flavored drinks or soft drinks.
• Drink water throughout the day, especially between meals and snacks.
• To reduce the risk of birth defects, get 600 micrograms of folic acid each day throughout your pregnancy. Take a dietary supplement of folic acid and eat foods high in folate and foods fortified with folic acids, including Asparagus, broccoli and leafy green vegetables such as lettuce and spinach, Legumes (beans, peas, lentils), Papaya, tomato juice, oranges or orange juice, strawberries, cantaloupe and bananas,Grain products fortified with folic acid (breads, cereals, cornmeal, flour, pasta, white rice.)
• Deficiency of these nutrients affects tooth development in various ways:
  1. Calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D :Hard structure of tooth is less mineralized
  2. Vitamin A : Reduced enamel formation
  3. Flouride: Increased demineralization of tooth in acidic environment
  4. Excess flouride: Leads to Fluorosis.