Taking your vitamins is still important in the last trimester of pregnancy. Although you might be tired of popping your prenatals by the third trimester of pregnancy, certain vitamin supplements are still essential in the last three months. While your baby's major organs have all formed by this time, he -- and you -- still need adequate calcium, vitamin D and iron for optimal growth and to prevent complications during pregnancy and after birth. Even if you eat a healthy diet, vitamin supplements help provide the nutrients that are difficult to obtain just through diet during pregnancy. Calcium Around 80 percent of your baby's calcium stores are absorbed during the third trimester, according to Dr. Christopher S. Kovacs, Professor of Medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Calcium absorption doubles during pregnancy to help meet the need. In the third trimester, your baby's bones grow and become stronger. Calcium supplements can also have a modest effect on lowering your blood pressure and decreasing the risk of developing a serious complication of pregnancy called pre-eclampsia, according to a July 2006 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews meta-analysis of studies conducted by South African researchers.
Vitamin D Vitamin D not only facilitates the absorption of calcium, but also has health benefits of its own during pregnancy. Taking supplemental vitamin D during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy decreased the risk of vitamin D deficiency in newborns, according to a Boston Medical Center study reported in the April 2010 issue of "Pediatrics." Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets in infants, a softening of the bones that can lead to skeletal deformities. Iron Iron-deficiency anemia is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies during pregnancy and one that most often occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy, according to Health Canada. Your blood volume increases by 50 percent during pregnancy, the Linus Pauling Institute explains. With the increased blood volume comes the need for extra iron, which is carried in red blood cells. If you don't get enough iron in the last trimester, you could become anemic, which can lead to fatigue and decreased resistance to infection. Severe iron-deficiency anemia might cause preterm delivery and/or low birthweight.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Omega-3 fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid, better known as DHA, help your baby's brain and eyes develop properly during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester, when brain growth increases. It's difficult to get enough DHA in your diet unless you consume fish regularly, which you might hesitate to do if you dislike fish or worry about mercury contamination. A Norwegian study published in the January 2003 issue of "Pediatrics" found that children of mothers who took omega-3 fatty acid supplements starting at week 18 of pregnancy scored higher on mental development tests at age 4 than those who took corn oil. Other Vitamins All other vitamins and minerals that contribute to good health when you're not pregnant remain important during the last three months of pregnancy, including the B-complex vitamins, vitamins C, E and K and minerals such as magnesium, iodine and zinc. : Calcium Metabolism During Pregnancy and LactationHealth Canada: Prenatal Nutrition Guidelines for Health Professionals - Iron Contributes to a Healthy PregnancyLinus Pauling Institute: Micronutrient Needs During Pregnancy and LactationCochrane Database Systematic Review: Calcium Supplementation During Pregnancy for Preventing Hypertensive Disorders and Related ProblemsPediatrics: Maternal Supplementation with Very-Long-Chain n-3 Fatty Acids During Pregnancy and Lactation Augments Children's IQ at 4 Years of AgeYale Health
: : Suggest a CorrectionVitamin D-3 is a form of vitamin D that is readily available as an over-the-counter supplement. This nutrient helps your body perform a variety of functions, including absorb calcium, develop healthy bones and protect itself against infections. If you are pregnant, talk with your doctor before beginning treatment with a vitamin B-3 supplement. When used appropriately, vitamin D-3 supplements are usually safe during pregnancy. When a woman is expecting or breast-feeding, her daily recommended intake of vitamin D is 600 international units or IU. At daily doses in excess of 4000 IU, vitamin D-3 supplements may cause vitamin D toxicity in anyone age 9 or older, including pregnant or nursing women. Vitamin D-3 is usually well tolerated when used as directed. However, taking a high daily dose of vitamin D-3 may cause an unhealthy increase in your blood levels of this nutrient. Though vitamin D toxicity occurs infrequently, symptoms of this condition include nausea, appetite loss, headache, dry mouth, increased urination, weakness, fatigue, constipation, bone pain and itchy skin.
You can avoid such complications by consulting your doctor to ensure you take the correct dosage of vitamin D-3. Treatment with vitamin D-3 supplements may not be appropriate for pregnant women who take certain medications. Vitamin D-3 supplements may reduce the effectiveness of atorvastatin. Pregnant women should also be aware that certain medications may lower their vitamin D levels. These medications include mineral oil, orlistat, anti-seizure medications, antacids and bile acid sequestrants. In addition, isoniazide, estrogen and thiazide, a diuretic, may increase blood levels of vitamin D, which may elevate the risk of toxicity. Pregnant women who don't get enough vitamin D daily may be at an increased risk of experiencing pregnancy complications, including preeclamsia, gestational diabetes and bacterial vaginosis, a type of vaginal infection. These pregnancy complications may also result in preterm labor or low infant birth weight. In addition, women with low vitamin D levels may be more likely to need a Caesarean section, or c-section, at the time of delivery.
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Bone growth in the womb and during early infancy is linked to overall bone strength later in life. Weaker childhood bones may predispose an individual to conditions such as osteoporosis in older age, say experts. Current UK government guidelines recommend that all pregnant women take daily supplements of 10 micrograms of vitamin D to improve their babies' bone health. For the new study scientists recruited 1,134 women from Southampton, Oxford and Sheffield who were between 14 and 17 weeks pregnant, and had low to normal levels of vitamin D. Half took a 25 microgram vitamin D capsule daily while the other half were given inactive placebo pills. Read more: Pregnant women damaging IQ of babies by not eating enough fish, milk and cheese Overall, the researchers found no significant difference in bone mass between the babies born to each group of mothers. But further analysis showed that babies born during the winter months benefited if their mothers took vitamin D supplements while pregnant.
Their bone mass was higher than that of winter-born babies whose mothers received the placebo. "Babies' bones strengthen during the last stages of pregnancy," said co-author Professor Nicholas Harvey, from the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit at the University of Southampton. "Since sunlight is our most important source of vitamin D, mothers' levels of vitamin D tend to drop from summer to winter, and babies born in the winter months tend to have lower bone density than those born during the summer. "trial has given us the first evidence that supplementing mothers with vitamin D during pregnancy counteracts the seasonal drop in maternal vitamin D levels and may help to ensure good bone development in these winter births." The research is reported in the journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. Dr Benjamin Jacobs, consultant paediatrician at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London, said: "This study therefore needs to be taken into account when reviewing the current Vitamin D advice particularly for pregnant women in the UK and beyond."