http://www.healthypregnancytips.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Nutrition-Pregnancy.png My name is Ashley Kravitz and I am an Allentown Sodexo Dietetic Intern. I am currently completing my clinical rotations at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camphill, PA. Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend a few days at the Harrisburg Hospital NICU. From the moment I stepped into the NICU, I was absolutely amazed by what I saw. There were dozens of newborn infants who had been suffering so much before even coming across their due dates. Many of them had already undergone extreme, life-threatening surgeries at only a few days old. As I witnessed the daily rounds within that unit, the physician would mention, “this child will most likely have Cerebral Palsy,” or “this child will most likely suffer from their mother’s drug addiction for the rest of their life.” Needless to say, experiencing these rounds broke my heart.
Spending time in this facility had me thinking: How can all of this be avoided? What can mothers possibly do to avoid their newborn from entering this unit? I then came across this article: “Proper Nutrition Prior to Conception and During Pregnancy Can Help Prevent Birth Defects. Learn About the Different Nutrients to Include in Your Diet.” This article discusses the importance of various vitamins such as folate, which can be found in leafy green vegetables, fortified grains and orange juice, dried beans, peas, and fruits, and vitamin B12, which can be found in milk products, meats, poultry, and eggs.
Getting the proper amounts of nutrients during pregnancy, and even before conception, is important for both the mother and the baby. As stated by Jennifer Nelson, director of clinical dietetics and associate professor of nutrition at the Mayo School of Health Sciences in Rochester, Minnesota, “A poor diet not only increases a mother’s risk for birth defects, but also contributes to premature births, pregnancies that do not go full term, and high-risk pregnancies.” As an RD-to-be, I feel it is extremely important to spread the word when it comes to avoiding these birth defects by simply providing their body with the necessary nutrition to do so.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/benefits-of-healthy-eating/banishing-birth-defects.aspx
Spending time in this facility had me thinking: How can all of this be avoided? What can mothers possibly do to avoid their newborn from entering this unit? I then came across this article: “Proper Nutrition Prior to Conception and During Pregnancy Can Help Prevent Birth Defects. Learn About the Different Nutrients to Include in Your Diet.” This article discusses the importance of various vitamins such as folate, which can be found in leafy green vegetables, fortified grains and orange juice, dried beans, peas, and fruits, and vitamin B12, which can be found in milk products, meats, poultry, and eggs.
Getting the proper amounts of nutrients during pregnancy, and even before conception, is important for both the mother and the baby. As stated by Jennifer Nelson, director of clinical dietetics and associate professor of nutrition at the Mayo School of Health Sciences in Rochester, Minnesota, “A poor diet not only increases a mother’s risk for birth defects, but also contributes to premature births, pregnancies that do not go full term, and high-risk pregnancies.” As an RD-to-be, I feel it is extremely important to spread the word when it comes to avoiding these birth defects by simply providing their body with the necessary nutrition to do so.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/benefits-of-healthy-eating/banishing-birth-defects.aspx
