Assignment on Micro-nutrient deficiency in pregnancy

Micro-nutrient deficiency in pregnancy
Introduction
Maternity is a vital phase for women and fetuses in the womb. Adequate nutrition in the
pregnancy ensures a healthy pregnancy and confirms normal growth and development of the
fetus. Maternal malnutrition significantly affects the health of the mother and fetus. Maternal
malnutrition causes anemia, gestational hypertension, low birth weight baby, premature fetus,
abortion, stillbirth and increases maternal mortality. Maternal malnutrition drastically affects
the defense system of the fetus. Micronutrients are the essential supplements that support the
growth and development of the fetus. The major cause of maternal malnutrition is poor
resources. This assessment critically analysis the maternal vitamin D deficiency during
pregnancy and the impact on the baby. The aim of the assessment is to analyze the main
health outcomes for both mother and baby, immediate causes for micronutrient deficiency,
nutrition-specific intervention, and discussion on strengths and limitations of interventions.
Main health outcomes for mother and baby
.
Impact on mother
Pregnancy demands an increased intake of nutrition to make sure the health of the pregnant
women and fetus. Pregnant women undergo various changes during the time of pregnancy.
The need for additional nutrition increases as the baby grows. Baby takes the required food
and nutrition from the mother which causes nutritional deprivation in the mother. Lack of
adequate nutrition impacts the health of the mother significantly (Triunfo & Lanzone, 2015).
Vitamin D supplement ensures calcium absorption. Calcium is the micro-nutrient that aids in

promoting the health of mother and baby. Deprivation of calcium during gestation period
increases the risk of hypertension and pre-eclampsia (Lowensohn, Stadler & Naze, 2016).
During pregnancy, the nutritional need of the fetus is supplied by the mother. Deficiency of
Vitamin D impacts the bone wellbeing of the pregnant women which may cause bone
weakness. It may also lead to gestational diabetes. The prevalence of the impact of vitamin D
deficiency confirms the increased incidence of auto-immune diseases in mothers (Bodnar et
al. 2014).
Impact on foetus and childhood
Maternal vitamin D deficiency significantly affects the growth and development of the baby.
The weight of the baby is one of the indications of growth and development. Decreased baby
weight is the indication of deprived growth in the mother’s womb. Amosu & Degun (2014)
states that vitamin D deficiencies influence the birth weight of the baby. Bone formation for
the foetus demands calcium from the mother whereas vitamin D deficiency affects the
calcium absorption (Urrutia-Pereira M, Solé, 2015). Vitamin D deficiency during gestation
affects lactation during the prenatal and postnatal periods. It also impacts and alters the
composition of breast milk (Innis, 2014). Lack of calcium supplement during pregnancy leads
to low birth weight in babies, hypocalcemia, impaired neonatal growth, fragile bone and
increased the chances of auto-immune diseases that are related to vitamin D deficiency.
Causes for vitamin D deficiency
Pregnancy is the stage in which women require an increased amount of calcium and
phosphate. Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium and phosphate. Systemic review
done by Van der Pligt et al. (2018) confirms that women from developing countries like the
Middle East, Latin America, and Asia are at the risk of vitamin D deficiency. The author also

states that the prevalence in these areas is higher. Major Cause for vitamin D deficiency in
developing countries is poor resources. Consumption of Vitamin D improves the absorption
of calcium and phosphorus. Inadequate calcium absorption significantly affects the skeletal
development of the foetus and increases the probability of bone weakness in mothers.
Another cause is less exposure to sunlight, especially in countries like Norway, India, the
Faroe Islands and some parts of the USA. Less exposure to vitamin D impacts calcium
absorption. Dark skin, indoor activity, obesity, less dietary intake of Vitamin D and
vegetarian diet are also some of the causes of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women in
developing countries.
Intervention
Implementation of intervention is essential to manage vitamin D shortage for pregnant
women and to maintain the health of pregnant women. Vitamin D insufficiency is a critical
issue to handle if the cause is a lack of source because vitamin D insufficiency impacts the
dietary absorption of calcium and phosphorus. A major source of vitamin D is sunlight.
Adequate exposure to sunlight and sufficient intake of dietary sources ensure the supplement
of the micro-nutrient. Calcium and phosphorus are essential for the skeletal formation of the
foetus. Implementation of intervention improves the health of women and offspring (Sharma
et al. 2016).
Overview
The intervention implemented to manage the maternal vitamin D deficiency is a supplement
to the vulnerable group. The pregnant women with a singleton pregnancy and with vitamin D
deficiency and newborns are considered to be the vulnerable group to implement the