Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby

DR. NATASHA MONTROY

The health of a child begins with their development in the womb. Here is a list of the top five things that you can do as a mother to promote the well being of your child from preconception to breastfeeding.  Please consult your healthcare provider for specific dosing requirements.

Probiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms that offer health benefits to both mother and baby when taken orally by food or supplement. There are multiple different strains of probiotics, each offering unique health benefits for different ailments. For example probiotic species Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus reutri have been shown to maintain healthy vaginal flora, decrease risk of maternal bacterial vaginosis, prevent and treat infant thrush and colic. Various other Lactobacilli species have been shown to aid in the prevention of group B streptococci.  In addition, research demonstrates also that Lactobacillus rhamnosus and lactis have been shown to potentially reduce the incidence of atopic dermatitis in 50% of infants if their mothers ingested probiotics during their pregnancies and newborns ingested them during their first years of life. In acute care, probiotics are often used in preterm infants for prevention and treatment of necrotizing enterocolitis and other severe cases of diarrhea.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

DHA is an omega three fatty acid that has shown to benefit fetal development, intelligence and has been found support maternal mood. The infant brain develops at an exponential rate during the first two years of life and should be supported with DHA either through breast milk or through direct supplementation. Maternal dietary intake of DHA during breastfeeding has been found to offer DHA supplementation to infants through breastmilk.  Maternal dosing may vary, however an average maternal daily intake of 200 – 600 mg is often recommended.

Folate

Folate is a B vitamin which is critical to both mother and baby’s health and should be taken a minimum of three months prior to conception until the end of the pregnancy. Both folate and folic acid (synthetic form of folate) are recommended to help prevent neural tube defects, preterm births and pre-eclampsia. Dosing is recommended from 400 mcg - 5 mg per day depending on the mother’s health history, fertility history and age. 

Choline

Choline is a supplement that most pregnant women are unfamiliar with, yet its influence in baby can be very important. Choline is an essential nutrient which is used in cell membrane development and neurological cell to cell communication. It has shown to benefit memory, risks of neural tube defects and to lower elevated maternal homocysteine levels. 

Vitamin D

I recommend that all mothers have their vitamin D levels checked prior to or during pregnancy. By establishing blood levels of 25- hydroxyvitamin D your healthcare provider can better advise you to the correct dose that you should be taking throughout your pregnancy. Dosing can range from 400IU – 2000IU per day on average. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with juvenile diabetes, pre-eclampsia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, childhood asthma, poor bone density, depression and many other conditions.