Which vitamins are important during pregnancy?
For optimal development of the unborn child and good care of their own body, pregnant women should have sufficient amounts of all vitamins. A deficiency of individual vitamins – as well as an excess – can pose serious risks for the unborn child.
Do vitamins also help with pregnancy? You can find the answer to this question and more on the subject in the article Nutrition and vitamins in the desire to have children.
Folate (folic acid)
Folic acid is a B vitamin involved in cell division and growth processes. It is especially important for the healthy development of the baby in the first weeks of pregnancy. Folate is found in various foods, such as spinach, kale, lamb’s lettuce, broccoli, chicken eggs, legumes, whole grains, oranges and tomatoes.
Vitamin D
During pregnancy – as in every other phase of life – the body should be supplied with sufficient vitamin D. Among other things, the sun vitamin ensures the healthy development of the child’s nerves and immune system, organs and skeleton.
In addition, it is advisable to regularly consume foods rich in vitamin D, such as fatty sea fish (e.g. salmon, herring).
Vitamin D is the collective term for a whole group of fat-soluble vitamins and is actually a hormone precursor (prohormone) rather than a vitamin. The representative vitamin D3 is converted in the body is the hormone calcitriol – the biologically active form of vitamin D.
Vitamin A
Therefore, with regard to vitamin A: In the first trimester, expectant mothers should not eat liver because it contains a lot of vitamin A (supplements containing the vitamin are also discouraged because the dosage may be too high). From the second trimester, occasional meals with liver are allowed again (once or twice a month).
Vitamin C
Pregnancy demands a lot from the female body. The immune system often suffers as a result, making the expectant mother more susceptible to infections. An adequate supply of vitamin C can counteract this.
To meet the increased need for vitamin C during pregnancy, women should regularly include foods containing vitamin C in their diet. Good sources include fresh fruits (such as citrus fruits, black currants), fresh vegetables and potatoes.
Vitamin E
Among other things, the body needs vitamin E for a healthy immune system and to “detoxify” cell-damaging “free radicals” (aggressive oxygen compounds that are naturally produced during metabolic processes, but also, for example, during smoking).
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
Vitamin B12
Pregnancy can be a challenge for vegetarians and vegans as far as the supply of vitamin B12 is concerned. This vitamin, which is important for blood formation, is mainly found in animal foods – meat, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy products.
Pregnancy: vitamins at a glance
|
Recommended intake per day for non-pregnant women |
Recommended intake per day in pregnant women |
|
|
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) |
1.0 mg (from 19 years) |
1.2 mg (2nd trimester) |
|
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) |
1.1 mg (19 to 50 years) |
1.3 mg (2nd trimester) |
|
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) |
1.4 mg (from 19 years) |
1.5 mg (1st trimester) |
|
Folate (folic acid) |
300 µg (from 15 years) |
550 µg |
|
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) |
4 µg (from 15 years) |
4.5 µg |
|
Biotin |
40 µg (from 15 years) |
40 µg |
|
Niacin |
13 mg (15 to 24 years) |
14 mg (2nd trimester) |
|
Pantothenic acid |
5 mg (from 15 years) |
5 mg |
|
95 mg |
105 mg (from 4th month) |
|
|
Vitamin A/ Retinol |
700 µg |
800 µg |
|
Vitamin D* |
20 µg (from 15 years) |
20 µg |
|
Vitamin E |
12 mg (15 to 64 years) |
13 mg |
|
60 µg (15 to 50 years) |
60 µg |
* The recommended intake of 20 micrograms (via food or a dietary supplement) applies in the absence of endogenous vitamin D production. However, if the skin is frequently exposed to the sun, the body can generally supply itself sufficiently with vitamin D on its own.
A balanced diet – for example, according to the recommendations of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) – normally provides all the vitamins a woman needs during pregnancy. But suppliers of nutritional supplements have recognized pregnant women as a target group and are courting them with vigor. Pills and powders suggest: “Buy me, and you and your child will be well taken care of.
In pregnancy indisputable is the artificial supply of:
What are the effects of a deficiency on the baby?
A vitamin deficiency in the expectant mother during pregnancy can severely disrupt the healthy development of the baby. Of course, a short-term, slight undersupply does not immediately lead to severe malformations in the child. However, a permanent vitamin deficiency can become a problem – in what form depends on the vitamin affected. Possible effects of vitamin deficiency on the unborn child are:
- Vitamin B6: In extreme cases, a deficiency can lead to skin, eye and nerve damage in the baby.
- Vitamin B12: If the female body is permanently deficient in vitamin B12 during pregnancy, mild to severe impairments of the child’s brain function may result.
A lack of vitamins during pregnancy can therefore cause serious deficiency symptoms in the baby and jeopardize its healthy development in the long term. This danger can be averted if a pregnant woman takes in all the vitamins she needs – through a balanced, varied diet and vitamin supplements recommended by her doctor.
