The Importance of the Nutrient Iron Iron is considered a very important nutrient for any one at any stage
of them lifecycle. It is especially essential in the diet of a
pregnant woman. Iron is stored in the spleen, the bone marrow and the
liver, it is then used when the body needs it. Iron allows oxygen and
nutrients to travel to all parts of the body in the red blood cells.
It does this in the form of haemoglobin. Mother and baby magazine
states, ‘ It is normal for haemoglobin levels to drop a little during
pregnancy.’ The lower the haemoglobin levels, the thinner the blood.
It is an advantage if the blood thins a little, as the oxygen and
nutrients can be carried around quicker as the blood flows faster and
more easily. If the blood thins too much this means the haemoglobin
levels are too low and symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia may begin.
Symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia include feeling washed out,
feeling dizzy or faint, difficult with breathing, chest pains and a
pale complexion. Anaemia is a problem with the quaintly or quality of
the red blood cells with carry the oxygen and nutrients as
haemoglobin. There are a few types of anaemia, but iron deficiency
anaemia is the most common, ‘The book of vitamins and minerals’ by
Karen Sullian states, ‘95% of all cases’.
There is not a big danger for the mother or the baby short term and
the heart rate increases to allow blood to get to all parts of the
body and the placenta increases to insure the baby gets enough oxygen.
If the anaemia continues for a long period of the pregnancy, it could
result in premature labour, stillbirth or low- birth weights.
Iron is a trace element, which is a group of minerals present in small quantities in the body. Other trace elements include copper, zinc, selenium, manganese and iodine. These minerals cannot be synthesized by the body and must therefore be supplied in the diet. Iron is the most common trace element in the human body; adult males have approximately 3.5 g iron in total, or 50 mg per kg body weight while females have about 2g total iron or 35 mg per kg bodyweight. Iron can exist in oxidation states from -2 to +6, but mainly exists in the ferrous (+2) and ferric (+3) states in biological systems. As iron has the ability to accept and donate electrons readily, it can interconvert between these two forms with ease. Thus, iron can participate in
The mother may use prescription medications or other drugs. These may be passed through the milk and harm the baby.
Iron is bound to 70% of hemoglobin (red blood cells), and the rest is bound to other proteins in the body or stored in other body tissues. When your red blood cells die, iron is released and carried by transferring the iron to bone marrow and other vital organs. The source of all the iron that you receive is in the food that you eat. The body needs
is a very useful nutrient for human life forms as it is the source for
When a woman becomes pregnant, she is immediately known as a mother. The fetus being carried is dependent on his/her mother’s actions, behaviors and what she consumes into her body. The mother must be careful to not expose herself and her fetus to any dangers, for example, teratogens are a huge concern for her fetus to be exposed to. The two teratogens I believe to be fatal for a fetus to be exposed to are nicotine and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Smoking and drinking while pregnant can cause many harmful affects and put the fetus’s health and safety in danger.
Iron is an essential part of a healthy diet. Iron compounds are employed for medicinal purposes in the treatment of anemia, when the amount of hemoglobin or the number of red blood corpuscles in the blood is lowered.
Pregnancy is a sensitive issue, just like getting it. Therefore you do not want to do anything just will jeopardise the life of your baby.
Negative effects can appear early on and “it may increase the risk of miscarriage” (Terence Gorski, 2002). It also increases the risk of premature birth,stillbirth,
Pasquariello, P. S., Jr. (Ed.). (1999). Book of pregnancy and child care. New York City, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Both the mother and the baby could have complications from this event. The baby has a list of complication that they could have for example injury to the nerves in the arm and hand, possibly causing the arm to be paralyzed, breaking of the arm, collapse of the baby’s lung, lack of oxygen, which can cause problems with the nervous system, brain damage, or even death. Yes even the mother could have complications like tearing of the uterus, heavy bleeding after delivery, bruising or tearing of the cervix, tearing of the rectum, or bruising or irritation of the bladder.”almost all mothers at term will possess at l...
7). Such risks can be reduced by following a “healthy, safe diet, by getting regular exercise, and by avoiding exposure to potentially harmful substances such as lead and radiation” (what is prenatal care and why is it important. n.d., para.7). These factors help prevent the complications from occurring. To help decrease complication such as anemia, preterm birth, preeclampsia, diabetes, and poor growth of the baby in utero. By going to a health care professional and by following the steps to reducing these risks. This ensures that the health of the baby and the mother is to standards. It also helps with having a healthy delivery when it comes time for
Iron Deficiency Anemia affects millions of individuals across the world. This disease strikes many more women than men and has harmful effects on all who suffer from this deficiency that causes oxygen-carrying capacity to decrease. The causes can vary amongst different groups, but the aggravating symptoms remain constant. Much of the research on Iron Deficiency Anemia concentrates on not only the treatment of this disease, but also the prevention of it. To attain a better understanding of how to treat this problem, one must clearly know what Iron Deficiency Anemia means, what causes this disease, the effects of it, and finally how to cure it.
Minerals (micronutrient), there are various minerals and each group plays a different role, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) all help to harden bones and teeth. Iron (Fe) plays a crucial role in haemoglobin (Hb). Potassium (K), sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) are all helpful in maintaining the bodies PH balance and are all used in action potential (Grammarly,
Some scientific research has indicated that vitamin C plays a key role in improving the absorption of iron supplements taken orally.