The Pregnant Woman's Diet

The continuation of the study which Dr. Edma Abouchdid kindly presented to "The Woman's Voice" in a past issue. The readers of this magazine have asked us to present them from time to time with studies of this kind, for the health benefit they contain, which redounds to the good of society.

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Vitamin A: A deficiency of this vitamin, which is connected with growth, causes the death of the fetus or weakness in its constitution. It is agreed that it helps strengthen immunity against infectious diseases, especially those that strike the mucous membranes; and since a woman during her pregnancy is exposed to inflammations of the lungs and the kidneys, giving her an ample quantity of vitamin A is necessary. Moreover, a portion of this vitamin is stored in the fetus's liver. Accordingly, the pregnant woman needs five times as much of this vitamin as she needs when not pregnant. And the vitamin causes changes in the digestive system, constipation, a decrease in the quantity of urine, general swelling, and pain in the nerves, together with a feeling of weakness and fatigue. Its deficiency during pregnancy causes more dangerous symptoms, for tests have shown that it is among the causes of puerperal eclampsia. The pregnant woman must therefore eat plenty of the foods that contain this vitamin, namely meat, milk, eggs, and vegetables. The need is most pressing during nursing. Some believe that hemorrhage and the spasms of the pyloric opening of the stomach in infants may be caused by a deficiency of vitamin B.

Vitamin C is necessary for the growth of the fetus. This vitamin is stored in the body during spring and summer so that the body may use it in autumn and winter, when its presence in food is scarce. It is also necessary for increasing immunity against infection, and it is found in oranges, lemons, and sour citrus, and in vegetables, potatoes, milk, butter, and fresh fruit.

Vitamin D helps the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestines, and it is found in fish — especially fish oil — and in milk, butter, cheeses, and yeast. The starchy foods that the child eats in abundance do not contain vitamin D, and a deficiency of this vitamin causes a delay in the growth of the bones: the signs of rickets appear in the child, the appearance of his teeth is delayed, and they become liable to decay. Vitamin D is thus very necessary for the mother and for the child in his first year.

Vitamin E is necessary for the function of reproduction, for the growth of the fetus, and for its nourishment at nursing time.

From the foregoing, the importance of all these vitamins during pregnancy and nursing becomes clear. The mother must drink at least 500 grams of milk daily, because it contains enough calcium, protein, vitamins, fat, and starchy matter.

It goes without saying that what has been said about foods refers to what is eaten after its preparation, and not as it is bought. And there are elementary matters that must be attended to in cooking food and preparing it.

Things that are left over from one day to the next, and things that are kept in water for a long time, lose much of the essential substances within them. Potatoes, for example, must not be left in water for more than a few minutes before cooking, because 30 percent of the vitamin C leaches into boiling water within half an hour. So that vegetables may not lose this vitamin, they must be boiled for a very short time in the smallest possible quantity of water, and this water must not be thrown away but must be used again in cooking. Using steam for cooking

is far better than boiling. Hard vegetables should be cut into very small pieces so that their boiling time is not prolonged.

So that these directions may be practical, it is advisable for the woman to follow this program in her eating:

1 — Milk: half a liter daily, drunk or cooked, as in rice with milk or muhallabiyya.

2 — Vegetables: especially spinach, once a day. It is advisable that some of the vegetables be uncooked.

3 — Bread: with every meal.

4 — Meat: including fish or fowl and its liver — at least one serving every day.

5 — Eggs: one or two eggs a day.

6 — Fruit: two servings a day.

7 — Liquids: taking plenty of them is very beneficial. The quantity should not be less than eight glasses daily.

This is a brief glimpse of the importance of the pregnant woman's diet. Precaution is not confined to diet alone: physical exercise, recreation, and sleep have their importance for preserving the health of the mother and the fetus.