In pregnancy, a varied diet is recommended. It is necessary to follow a balanced diet that includes several meals divided throughout the day.

 

Recommended foods:

• Abundant quantities of fruit and vegetables (Consume vegetables only after careful washing, including those in bags ready for consumption. Consume well-washed fruit, better if peeled. This reduces the risk of contracting infections with Toxoplasma gondii, Salmonella. spp., Hepatitis A and Norovirus viruses)

• Starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes

• Proteins derived from fish, meat, legumes (Consume only after adequate cooking)

• Plenty of fibers derived from whole wheat bread, fruit and vegetables

• Dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt. (Consume milk only after boiling)

 

Some types of food are to be avoided as they can represent a risk for mother and fetus:

• Soft cheeses derived from raw milk and molds, such as Camembert, Brie, and cheeses with blue veins (Listeria monocytogenes risk)

• Pâté, including vegetable ones

• Liver and derived products

• Raw or semi-raw prepared foods

• Raw or preserved meat, such as ham and salami (Toxoplasma gondii risk, Verocytotoxic Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp.). Cook the meat well up to the heart (the pink color must disappear)

• Raw seafood, such as mussels and oysters (risk of Listeria monocytogenes, Anisakis spp). Consume only after careful cooking.

• Fish that may contain a high concentration of methyl-mercury, such as tuna (consumption must be limited to no more than two medium-sized cans or a tuna steak per week), swordfish, shark

• Raw unpasteurized milk (risk of verocytotoxic coli, Brucella spp.) Consume only after boiling

• Eggs (salmonella risk). Consume only cooked with the coagulated yolk.

 

In pregnancy, the consumption of caffeine (present in coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate) should be limited to no more than 300 mg/day. Caffeine crosses the placenta. It should also be borne in mind that during this particular period the caffeine metabolism is slowed down by 15 times and therefore future mothers are more sensitive to its effects.

 

Nutrition during pregnancy is not very different from that of normal periods. At this stage, it is necessary to cover, not only the nutritional needs of the mother but also those of the unborn child. This does not mean that the expectant mother should "eat for two". In fact, during pregnancy, there is a slight increase in the caloric requirement necessary to also cover the needs of the fetus (350 kcal per day for the second trimester and 460 kcal per day for the third trimester).

The recommended weight gain during pregnancy depends on the woman's weight before becoming pregnant. (or rather from his BMI). Adequate weight gain affects the physiological course of pregnancy and the weight of the newborn.

 

Feeding pregnant woman requires greater attention to the choice of food.

In pregnancy, there is an increased need for protein, while for carbohydrates and fats it is substantially unchanged.

A varied diet is recommended, which includes different food groups every day.

Due to their specific characteristics, some products are less suitable for pregnant women or must be consumed by adopting particular precautions despite the fact that in Italy and Europe there is an effective food safety guarantee system.

 

Finally, high salt consumption increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. In this period it is even more important to reduce the intake and prefer iodine. In fact, during pregnancy and breastfeeding the iodine requirement is greater and it is extremely important that women take sufficient quantities of it.

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Sources and acknowledgments

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Linee guida gravidanza fisiologica (ISS SNLG)

FAQ - Corretta alimentazione in gravidanza (Ministero della salute)

Gravidanza, corretta alimentazione (sito ministero della salute) 

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