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October 22, 2010

Got Nutrients? What you may be missing

Filed under: General Information, Nutrition During Pregnancy — Tags: , , — Elizabeth Ward @ 9:57 am

American children are low on four vital nutrients for good health. Here is a piece I wrote for WebMD about what kids are missing. As it turns out, adults are short on the same nutrients, according to the proposed Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The piece describes each nutrient, why it’s necessary, and how to get more.

Have you seen my other blog at USATODAY.com?  It features tips for feeding your family healthy foods, and recipes that I prepare with my children as part of Cooking With My Kids.  Check out my interview with Liz Weiss, MS, RD, and Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD, moms, dietitians, and co-authors of No Whine With Dinner: 150 Kid-Tested Recipes from The Meal Makeover Moms.

October 14, 2010

Drinking During Pregnancy: Let’s Review

Filed under: General Information, Nutrition During Pregnancy — Tags: , , — Elizabeth Ward @ 3:42 pm

“Light Drinking Appears to be Safe in Pregnancy”

“Light Drinking During Pregnancy: No Harm to Baby?”

“Is Light Drinking During Pregnancy Safe?”

These are a few of the headlines from stories about a recent article in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health from researchers in Britain, who surmised that having up to two alcoholic drinks a week during pregnancy may not be as risky for a child’s early development as feared.

This is the type of study that makes me want to pull out my hair.

Why? Because the headlines may leave you with the impression that drinking during pregnancy is now considered OK by health experts. Far from it.

This study involved more than 11,000 children. Bottom line: The researchers found that the children of so-called light drinkers did not exhibit behavior problems or cognitive deficits when they were tested at the age of five.

However, because of the study’s design, it’s incorrect to conclude for certain that there is no link between light drinking and damage to a child’s developing nervous system. Rather, this study is only powerful enough to possibly suggest that light drinking during pregnancy does no harm.

In addition, it’s important to know how the information about the moms’ drinking habits was collected.

Months after giving birth, the moms involved in the study were interviewed, in person, about how much they drank during pregnancy. Their alcohol intake was not being recorded as it was consumed. Instead, the researchers relied on the mothers’ memories of how many glasses of wine, cans of beer, or cocktails they drank. So there’s no certainty about how much alcohol the moms actually took in.

Research has shown that alcohol can cause irreversible harm to a developing child, and it’s possible that the effects of drinking during pregnancy are less obvious than the effects measured in the study, and that damage to a child from alcohol exposure in the womb may show up later in life.

Heaving drinking- the regular consumption of beer, wine or hard liquor- when expecting may lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FAS is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in the US. It also causes learning disabilities, birth defects, and emotional and behavioral problems.

Far less alcohol can cause lasting problems for children, too.  Some studies suggest that as little as one drink a week increases the risk of having a child who is significantly shorter and more likely to be underweight later in life, and boosts the chances of behavior problems in children, such as aggressive and delinquent behaviors.  Consuming alcohol during pregnancy also increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight babies, and stillbirth.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are sticking to their stance about alcohol and pregnancy. ACOG says that no amount of alcohol can be considered safe during pregnancy, and when you’re trying to conceive.

Not all women are getting the message about the potentially devastating effects of alcohol. About 12% of all pregnant women drink alcoholic beverages, and about 2% of those binge-drink, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Call me intractable, but I still think it’s a good idea to stop drinking when you’re pregnant.

February 2, 2010

Guest Blogger: Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD

Filed under: General Information — Tags: , , , , , — Elizabeth Ward @ 3:29 pm

I asked Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD to be a guest blogger because I love her web site, www.RaiseHealthyEaters.com. She provides great information about feeding families (she’s a mom, too!) in a fun and informative way. If you don’t need her now, you will!

Why Mom’s Nutrition May Be the Most Important of All

What happens when you go from pregnant to mom?  All of that time and effort you took to eat and sleep properly, move more and take care of that baby bump is over.  Where do you go from here?

I’ll be straight with you.  As a new mother you’ll be tempted to put yourself last on the list.  But it’s a trap you don’t want to fall into because it backfires on every level.

Here are key reasons why eating a healthy diet should take top priority in your household now, and in the years to come.

1.  Your body is recovering: Your body has been put through the ringer.  Not only have you housed a baby for 9 months, but you likely went through the equivalent of a marathon (or two) to get him or her out.  And whether it was a vaginal delivery or a c-section, your body needs some TLC, rest and good nutrition to heal.

So take up the offer from anyone who’s willing to bring food over, help clean the house, or watch the baby while you sleep.  Don’t worry about your life outside of the baby, it’ll still be there.  Enjoy all the help while you can.

2. Breastfeeding nutrition: New mothers often forget that nutrition after pregnancy is still very important, especially if you breastfeed. Here are some messages I found in chapter 5 of Expect the Best, Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy.

-Breastfeeding women have higher nutrition needs so include eggs, chicken, meat, beans, fish, whole grains and plenty of fruits and veggies with meals. See My Pyramid for diet specifics. http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramidmoms/breastfeeding_nutrition_needs.html

-Continue to take your prenatal vitamin and when you run out, replace it with a daily multivitamin.

-If you don’t eat fish twice a week, take fish oil supplements with 200 milligrams of DHA per serving (one pill a day is fine).  DHA is a healthy fat that is vital for your baby’s developing brain.

-Keep caffeine intake moderate (200 milligrams a day or less) and drink alcoholic beverages on occasion, not on a regular basis.

- Breast milk is low in vitamin D so supplement your baby with 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D every day, as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends.  Try Carlson’s vitamin D baby drops.

3. You’ve upped your status to role model: On my blog, www.RaiseHealthyEaters.com, I write about moms as healthy role models for their children.  I believe the incredible love we have for our children can inspire change (including eating a healthier diet!) like nothing else can.  Not only do we want our kids to be healthy, but, when we have children, there’s no better reason to stay healthy and strong for as long as possible.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Preventative Health, married women with at least one child gained more weight over 10 years than women without children.  I completely understand how the weight can creep on. When you mix some extra leftover pounds from pregnancy with less time to work out and eat the way you should, you have a recipe for excess weight.

So when you’re done with recovery, start finding ways to be active, and to eat better. For every fruit and vegetable you feed your baby, eat one yourself.  Get back in touch with your hunger and fullness signals while learning how to preserve those of your children.  Instead of lamenting about having less time to dedicate to your health, be creative about building wellness into your busy day.

4. You’ll be a better mom: Moms who take care of themselves are happier and better able to handle the challenges of motherhood.

Bottom line: Making yourself a priority is not selfish, it’s vital to being the best mom you can be.

Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen is a registered dietitian, mother of two and creator of www.RaiseHealthyEaters.com, a blog dedicated to providing parents with the most credible nutrition advice.

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