Healthy Foods During Pregnancy Can Decrease Childhood Obesity Rates

Choice of Foods Affects the Child’s Health

A pregnant woman’s food choices before and during pregnancy can affect the health of her fetus. A healthy mom-to-be delivers a healthy baby with fewer birth defects and chronic health problems. The main pointers involved in a healthy pregnancy include eating a variety of foods, consuming adequate vitamins and nutrients, healthy weight gain, regular physical activity and avoiding harmful substances.

The newborn needs to be given nutritional care right from birth. Breast feeding is advantageous to the baby and the mother in numerous ways, health-wise as well as financially. Inculcate the advantages of physical activity at an early age as active young child are more equipped to face life than those who spend their time in front of the television or mobile phone.

Eat Right to Deliver a Healthy Baby

Pregnant women must eat foods from all five food groups to acquire all the nutrition possible for a healthy pregnancy. A prenatal multivitamin/mineral supplement may be suggested by your doctor or registered dietitian nutritionist to balance your iron, folic acid and other nutrient needs. Any food taken must be prepared hygienically to avoid the risk of food poisoning.

Obesity Can Affect Pregnancy

Pregnancy is not the time to lose weight. But, it is also not the time to put on excess weight taking advantage of your situation. The food requirements of the pregnant woman depend on numerous factors such as body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy, the rate at which she gains weight, age and appetite. Studies prove that healthy weight gain during pregnancy reduces the magnitude of risk problems during pregnancy and delivery. Obesity is risky for both the mother and child. Still, many women start their pregnancy with inappropriate weight measures and gain many more kilograms that is healthy during the entire pregnancy term.

Advantages of Breast-feeding

Worldwide, exclusive breast-feeding is propagated for the first six months for good health and protection and continuing it along with complementary foods until the baby’s 12^th month is recommended. Introducing solids to a baby is a great moment in a parent’s life and every parent would love to succeed in his/her first venture. The tips available at www.firsteatright.com can help to make your first solid foods experience as smooth as possible.

Benefits of breast-feeding include:

• Reduces baby's risk of ear infections,respiratory illnesses, gastrointestinal infections and sudden infant death syndrome and obesity.
• Helps the feeding mother to reduce weight after delivery.
• Reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancers in moms.