Nutrition in Pregnancy, Infancy and Childhood

Question 1

Why is folate important during pregnancy?

Answer 1

Folate necessary for cell division and neural tube formation

Question 2

Why is Iron important during pregnancy?

Answer 2

When breastfeeding, Iron does not travel through milk
Therefore baby will not receive any iron until they start eating solid foods
Thus parent has to increase amt of iron so baby can get enough

Question 3

Why is zinc important during pregnancy?

Answer 3

Zinc needed in protein, RNA and DNA

Also Iron is a competitor for zinc so as you increase iron intake so should zinc

Question 4

Harms of folate deficiency

Answer 4

Linked with neural tube defects

Result in anencephaly or spina bifida

Question 5

What are teratogens?

Answer 5

Toxic substances of chemical or biological origin

Which can lead to birth defects

Question 6

Why is nutritional need increased during lactation?

Answer 6

Faster growth of baby

Parent losing lots of fluids through breastmilk

Question 7

What is colostrum and why is it important?

Answer 7

Precursor of milk
Prod in the first few days
Very rich in protein and protective in immune functions

Question 8

Which nutrients need to be supplemented in infants?

Answer 8

Vit D
Vit K
Fluoride (unless formula fed babies)
B12 (If parent is vegan)

Question 9

Do infants require more or less fats than adults? Explain.

Answer 9

Infants require higher percentage of fat
Fat gives more energy per size than carbs and proteins
Babies have smaller stomachs therefore want to pack in extra calories for smaller amt of food

Question 10

How is water intake different in infants?

Answer 10

Infants need sufficient water intake

Kidneys are not mature enough to concentrate urine so they lose lots of water

Question 11

Growth of infant is defined as measurable change in body size due to 3 underlying cellular processes. What are these 3 processes?

Answer 11

Hyperplasia: Inc in cell number
Hypertrophy: Inc in cell size
Accretion: Inc in intercellular substances

Question 12

What should an infants diet consist of from birth to 6 months?

Answer 12

Breastmilk

Formula if breastfeeding impossible

Question 13

What should an infants diet consist of from 6-12 months?

Answer 13

Breast milk or Formula
Meat and beans
Iron fortified infant cereal
Pureed or strained vegetables 
Fruits

Question 14

What should an infants diet consist of from 12-18 months?

Answer 14

Chopped vegetables
Soft fruit
Finger foods
Canada’s Food Guide

Question 15

What foods should be avoided in infants and why?

Answer 15

Honey: May contain spores that can cause infection on babies weak immune system
Choking Hazards foods: Grapes, hot dogs, carrots
Juice: High sugar
Goat’s Milk: Very high protein levels for babies to tolerate