Nutritional supplementation
If at all possible, a pregnant woman should begin to take folic acid (400 – 800 ug daily) to supplement her diet as early as several months before conception. This nutritional supplement is proven to reduce the frequency of some kinds of deformity in the child (e.g. bifid spine (split vertebral column)). The intake of folic acid should be continued during the entire pregnancy and discontinued only after the child is weaned. In addition, iodine (200 ug daily) should be taken from the start of pregnancy. Suitable combination preparations are available from many manufacturers. Pregnant women afflicted by thyroid hyper-function should not take additional iodine.
Supplementing iron may become necessary during the pregnancy. We will let you know if this is the case and give you aprescription.
If you eat a varied healthy diet, there is definitely no need for further nutritional supplementation. However, please talk to us if you wish to take a preparation.
A strictly vegan diet is not beneficial to the growth of your child, please let us know if your diet contains no animal protein.
Foods to avoid:
Raw meat to prevent transmission of aninfection such as toxoplasmosis or listeriosis. Raw meat means raw minced meat, tartare, carpaccio, ground pork, raw sausage for frying or steak that is notwell done.
Raw meat does not include sushi or otherraw fish. If these are handled with care and consumed soon after preparation, there is no secondary contamination to be presumed. Remember: Sushi from a good restaurant with many patrons and a high throughput of their products is acceptable, whereas sushi in a plastic pouch from the gas station or supermarket is not.
Bacon and salami are also not considered raw meats. It is permissible to consume them. Transmission of a toxoplasmosisinfection is all but excluded.
Raw milk products, meaning dairy products that have not been made germ-free by pasteurization or ultra-heating. These are associated with an infection risk like listeriosis.
Listeria has also been detected in marinated herring, graved salmon, pickled products, cold-smoked fish (troutfillet, smoked salmon), which should therefore be avoided.
Large quantities of large fish considering the possibility of contamination by hazardous substances (mercury), largedeep-sea fish such as tuna, red perch, spined loach, bonito, and shark, should also be consumed in moderate quantities only and not frequently.
Other rules of conduct
Contact with cats, especially cat excrements, should also be avoided during pregnancy due to the attendant risk of toxoplasmosis infection.
You should always use gloves when gardening, and all fruit and vegetables should be cleaned with copious amounts of water before you eat them.