Mineral Status in Pregnant Women

Ensuring an adequate supply of nutrients, which include trace elements, is particularly important in pregnancy. Both deficiency and excess of trace elements in the body can interfere with conception and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. The effects of malnutrition and shortages in fetal life may increase the risk of miscarriages, congenital malformations, premature births, intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR) and more frequent perinatal mortality. Nutritional deficiencies during fetal development may also have long-term consequences for the child, such as disorders in his biological and psychomotor development. In women of procreative age, an adequate supply of minerals, especially iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium and copper, is very important. The results of clinical trials indicate an association of anemia in pregnant women with premature delivery and low birth weight of a newborn. Calcium deficiency leads to the development of hypertension in pregnancy (including preeclampsia) and increases the risk of premature birth. Deficiency of zinc and copper in the mother's body is associated with complications of pregnancy and childbirth and affects inappropriate fetal development. The deficiency of these mineral components is often observed in young women-potential mothers. Increasing during pregnancy the need for nutrients and abnormal nutrition, intensify the deficiencies of minerals and affect the abnormal development of the fetus. It seems that during the course of pregnancy, changes in the mineral nutrition of women can be observed, which is why it is important to monitor this condition in the subsequent months of pregnancy. Due to the above, the aim of the planned research is to determine the nutrition and nutritional status of women in the subsequent trimesters of pregnancy. Obtained results will allow to formulate appropriate nutritional recommendations and / or indicate the need to implement appropriate mineral supplementation for women in every trimester of pregnancy.