Dieticians Now Recommend Evidence-Based Maternal Diet to Fight Birth Defects

(Newswire.net — October 29, 2019) Orlando, FL — Health authorities have long been recommending that pregnant women should resort to measures that could help protect them and their unborn child.

According to experts, proper nutrition aids in fighting birth defects. Having adequate nourishment before conception and during pregnancy has been specifically found to aid in significantly reducing physical and mental disabilities.

It is important to be warned that birth defects are considered to be the top cause of death in infants less than 1 year of age. The right maternal diet could aid in preventing thousands of types of common birth defects.

There are common conditions associated with improper diet, and one is congenital heart disease. It has been found that pregnant women with a diet low in riboflavin and niacin are at an increased risk of having babies with congenital heart disease.

It is highly recommended to consume more dairy products as well as fish, liver, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables.

A poor diet during pregnancy could also increase the risk of gastroschisis. This pertains to a birth defect in which the abdominal wall of the infant has a fissure or tear. Other birth defects to be warned against are congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), cleft palate, and fetal alcohol syndrome.

There are preventive steps against birth defects, and this includes the use of vitamin B12. According to experts, adequate levels of vitamin B12 are considered to be vital to a healthy pregnancy.

In some studies, it has been found that the nervous system and brain of a fetus need sufficient levels of B12 from the mother to properly develop.

Health authorities warn that when there is vitamin B12 deficiency at the beginning stages of pregnancy, it may potentially increase the risk of birth defects. This particularly includes neural tube defects.

A deficiency in this vitamin has also been found to contribute to premature birth or miscarriage.

It is worth mentioning that a study was carried out by researchers and it involved women with levels of vitamin B12 lower than 250 mg/dl.

It has been found that they were thrice more likely to deliver a child with birth defects than mothers with adequate B12 levels. Women with vitamin B12 deficiency have also been found to be at an increased risk by five times.

B12 can be obtained from certain types of food but there are also supplements available. One to consider is Purest Vantage B Vitamin Complex, which has long been gaining increasing popularity from the international market.

It contains Choline, Pantothenic acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Niacin, Riboflavin, Thiamin, and vitamin B6 (www.amazon.com/Vitamin-B-Complex-90-Capsules/dp/B0773N3MFK ).