1. Diet + Health of the Mother and development of the fetus
By Morgan and Stephanie

2. What Vitamins should a pregnant Woman eat to ensure health for baby and herself?
The key to a healthy pregnancy is to eat a balanced diet.
During the first and second trimester a pregnant women should eat 2000 calories a day. (which should be the average of a women who is not pregnant)
But for the last 3 months (third trimester) of pregnancy the mother should eat and extra calories a day.

3. Folic Acid
Folic acid is one of the more important vitamins, women need this because it prevents neural tube defects and this will affect the brain and the spinal chord of the baby. Folic acid is also needed for making DNA, it also stimulates red blood cell formation.
Spina bifida is common when a women does not eat enough folic acid.
Not taking folic acid will start to affect the baby on Week 5: The embryonic period. This is where the spinal chord starts to develop.
Folic acid can be found in leafy vegetables, citrus fruit and whole grains.

4. Calcium
Calcium: Calcium is also important for a pregnant women because it helps build up their bone density, the reason that pregnant women need to take more calcium is the baby needs calcium as well for bone development. During fetal development calcium is needed in large amounts.
If not enough calcium is taken by the mother the baby starts to use the mothers calcium and this makes the mother’s bones weaker. The baby may end up having weaker bones and muscles and an underdeveloped heart with out enough calcium.
Not taking Calcium will affect the baby in week 5 because muscles start to form at this stage.
Calcium is found in food such as milk and yogurt.

5. Iron
Iron is also needed to help the blood in both mom and baby to carry oxygen (very important)
Anemia is common if women do not take enough iron when pregnant. Once women have anemia their doctor recommends they take iron supplements and eat red meats that are high in iron.
Week 6 (first trimester)is when not taking iron will affect the baby because the heart just starts to pump blood at this stage.]
Food found with iron are meat, fish and poultry, dried beans, peas and lentils and some fruits and vegetables.

6. Copper
Copper is used to stimulate the growth of cells and tissues, hair growth and metabolism. Also helps with development of heart, blood vessels, and skeletal and nervous systems.
In the second trimester if the women does not take enough copper there will be underdevelopment of cells and tissues and metabolism.
Foods found with copper are organ meats, shellfish, dried beans, peas, whole wheat, and chocolate.

7. Alcohol
If a mother consumes alcohol during pregnancy, the alcohol can build up in the amniotic fluid causing problems such as: Still births, miscarriages, bleeding during pregnancy, premature births and FAS

8. Smoking cigarettes
If a mother smokes during pregnancy this can reduce the amount of oxygen in the mother’s blood thus leading to abnormal size and development of the baby.

9. Cocaine
Cocaine when taken by a pregnant women will increase heart rate in the mother and baby, also not much oxygen and blood supply will reach the baby. Due to this the baby may be small and grow slowly and some cases of bleeding in the brain of the baby has been reported.

10. Eating disorders
Due to continually losing weight the mother can starve not only herself but the baby as well. When someone is suffering from a eating disorder they are not getting the necessary nutrients for herself or the baby’s. If the mother is also taking laxatives this could lead to birth defects as well.

11. Video

12. Work sites
depth/prenatal-vitamins/art
depth/prenatal-care/art ?pg=2
nutrition#RecommendedDailyAllowances4 Very long !
We also used the Biology Textbook pages 537 and 534