The nutrient requirements during pregnancy increase manifold and one of the important nutrients to focus upon is Calcium. It is one of the most important nutrients and has a very important role to play in improving pregnancy outcomes. Adequate calcium intake can potentially prevent pre-eclampsia (A pregnancy complication where the mother has high blood pressure and presence of proteins in urine and can damage other organs such as kidneys and liver), pre-term birth, neonatal mortality (NNM), improve bone mineral content, breast milk concentration, and bone development of neonates.
What is the role of Calcium in Pregnancy?
Calcium has a crucial role to play during pregnancy for both the mother and her baby.
- If the mother is deficient in calcium, the baby would utilize the calcium from the mother’s bone making her deficient in calcium later in life.
- Calcium is very important for the development of the baby’s bones and teeth.
- It contributes to muscle contractions and regulation of hormones.
- Calcium can prevent pre-eclampsia, pre-term birth, and neonatal mortality (NNM).
- It improves bone mineral content, breast milk concentration, and bone development of neonates.
- Calcium helps with nerve cell function.
- Prevents the risk of osteoporosis in the mother.
A well-balanced diet with an emphasis on dairy can help a person get some calcium in their diet. However, there are many non-dairy sources of calcium too.
What are the natural sources of Calcium?
- Seeds – Seeds such as sesame seeds, chia seeds, celery seeds, and poppy seeds are rich sources of calcium.
- Cheese – Some types of cheese contain a lot of calcium.
- Yogurt – Yogurt is a good source of calcium while also being rich in other nutrients and protein.
- Seafood – Some types of seafood have a good amount of calcium.
- Milk – Milk is one of the most well-known sources of calcium. It’s one of the affordable calcium sources that also provide other nutrients.
Can Calcium Supplements be taken by pregnant women?
Calcium Supplementation is encouraged during pregnancy because not getting sufficient amounts of calcium may be detrimental to the health of the mother and the baby. The Indian Council For Medical Research (ICMR) recommends a daily intake of 35mg Iron, 500 mg Folic Acid, and 500mg Calcium. This makes it important for pregnant women to take the necessary pregnancy supplements. Additionally, you can also consume prenatal tablets that have nutrients such as Iron, Folic Acid, and Calcium according to the IFC model, along with other Multi Micronutrients according to the MMN model. This ensures that you can get multiple nutrients in one tablet. Ensure that the tablets that you buy have all the necessary nutrients in adequate quantities as per the guidelines of WHO and ICMR. Prenatal Tablets that have been recommended by doctors are much more preferred. Ensure that you are eating a nutrient-rich diet along with prenatal vitamins.
Take Away
Pregnancy requires you to be more cautious of your diet than usual because you must ensure that your diet is not only nutrient-rich but has the right kind of nutrients. The nutrients you consume form the building blocks of your baby and the right kind of nutrients can make a lot of difference to their health, both in childhood and in adulthood.
