Zinc and Folic Acid for a Healthy Baby

Nutritional status during pregnancy has a profound affect on your child’s health – ramifications that directly relate to your child’s health as an adult.  One aspect of this issue is simply preventing deficiencies that cause major problems.  Another idea is to optimize nutritional status during pregnancy so that your child maximizes genetic potential – the use of nutrition to improve the life-long health and intelligence of your child.

Much about this subject is already known – iron is needed for growth, iodine is needed for intelligence and thyroid, DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. is needed for intelligence and eyesight, and folic acid is needed to prevent neural tube defects.  Two new studies add to this existing body of helpful nutritional tips.

The first has to do with folic acid¹ and the length of time between pregnancies.  When the length of time between pregnancies is shorter, then a baby is more likely to be underweight at birth – a significant disadvantage.  When mom takes folic acid it completely prevents this problem, regardless of the length of time between pregnancies. 

In another study pregnant women given 15 mg of zinc² per day had children who grew better muscle development between ages 4 months and 12 months, indicating that zinc adequacy during pregnancy has a profound affect on the thriving ability of an infant.

Helping your child get off on the right foot by being nutrient adequate, even nutrient superior, can make a world of difference to your child’s quality of health and potential intelligence – by optimizing genetic potential.