Page 52 - Retail Pharmacy Magazine October 2020

50 PRE AND POSTNATAL FROM PAGE 48 Staying healthy during and after pregnancy While most expecting mums will be extra vigilant about looking after their health during pregnancy, the Covid-19 pandemic has perhaps encouraged many women to take extra care to maximise their health and to support their immune system during this time. Advanced accredited practising dietitian Melanie McGrice, founding member of the Early Life Nutrition Coalition, says one of the ways to ensure optimal health during pregnancy is through “great nutrition”. “There’s a long list of nutrients that play a key role during pregnancy, but folate and iodine are particularly important for most Australian mothers,” she said. “The recommended daily intake of folate increases from 400mcg to 600mcg per day during pregnancy to assist with the development of the baby’s neural tube. Guidelines recommend that women commence a folic acid supplement of at least 400mcg per day for at least one month prior to conception and the first three months of pregnancy, although some women may require higher doses. “Guidelines suggest that most Australian mothers should take a 150mcg iodine supplement during pregnancy, unless they have thyroid issues or consume a particularly high- iodine diet.” Dr Moffrey strongly recommends taking a “pregnancy multivitamin” regularly before and during pregnancy. “It’s important to keep up with that,” he said. “I’m a big believer in zinc – it’s definitely worthwhile. There’s lots of evidence that says zinc will help support your immune system. Vitamin D is the other that you could be on, and also a probiotic, but it ... depends on where you were sitting before you got pregnant, as far as your health goes, as to whether or not you need to take them.” After birth, Ms McGrice says, fatigue may lead to poor nutrition choice, which is why it’s important to develop “a nutritious eating routine prior to the baby’s birth” as this can help to “circumvent \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\[the\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\] poor dietary choices”. “Accepting meals from family, organising a nutritious home-delivered meal service or pre-preparing and freezing meals before delivery can help,” she said. “I also recommend eating small, regular meals and snacks, avoiding eating during the night and drinking plenty of water (especially if breastfeeding).” Ms McGrice continued: “Great nutrition is always essential during pregnancy. If a mother-to-be or mother needs support with her diet, refer to a pre and postnatal dietitian. “Key nutrients for good immunity include antioxidants from a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables, lactoferrin from cow’s milk and zinc from chicken. Always ensure that your patient has considered folic acid and iodine, and has seen a dietitian for supplement recommendations based upon their personal requirements and diet.” Mr Quigley also reinforces the need for “consideration about a pregnancy multivitamin” and the importance of being as healthy as possible leading into the pregnancy. “So, if the preparation is done correctly and sensibly so, conception will occur, and a healthy outcome will be achieved in almost all cases,” he said. “So that has to be reinforced as well. And there are plenty of nutritional supportive options ... it’s generally accepted now that folate is perhaps the most important.” Pharmacist Alvin Narsey, owner of Priceline Pharmacy West Brunswick in Melbourne, also suggests the use of vitamin C during pregnancy to help support health and the immune system. “Just the general protocol of using vitamin C, which is quite safe to use – that’s what I’d be recommending for a pregnant woman,” he said. “Certainly, if they’re feeling unwell, we can use a few other things as well, but general immunity, especially during this Covid-19 period, supported by vitamin C for a pregnant woman, would be the way I’d go, which is what we’re recommending.” Is breastfeeding still best? According to Ms McGrice, “the well documented benefits of breastfeeding outweigh any potential risks of Covid-19 being passed on to the baby”. Dr Moffrey agrees, adding that even “if someone is infected with Covid-19, we’re still encouraging them to breastfeed”. “There’s some evidence that shows antibodies passed in breastmilk ... so we’re still encouraging them to breastfeed, because that’s actually beneficial to the baby if the mother has Covid,” he said, adding that the only difference now is recommending that the mum wears a mask “with that close contact with their baby”. Dr Jacobson agrees, saying “breastfeeding is still encouraged, even if mum is Covid-19 positive”. “There’s a long list of nutrients that play a key role during pregnancy, but folate and iodine are particularly important for most Australian mothers.” RETAIL PHARMACY • OCT 2020 For more evidenced based information about nutrition and pregnancy, Ms McGrice cites this resource: youtube.com/ NourishWithMelanie. “Baby is more likely to become