No, not really. Depends. Well, read on.
One day, my 19 weeks pregnant wife asked me to go online to check how much DHA can a pregnant mother take safely. Is there such thing as DHA overdose? Since the DHA supplement we're taking is 300mg per tablet, she just want to be sure that it's not too much.
Well, what the wife wants, the wife gets (usually).
There's a short answer, and a long answer. Being a long-winded kinda guy, I'm gonna give you both LOL! Short answer are for those who just wants the quick answer to the question "Should I take DHA? And how much DHA is recommended?". In the Long Answer, I will give you more information and findings with regards to topic like "Why is DHA important?", "Why is Vitamin A dangerous?", "What kind of fish can I safely eat?" etc. Well, here goes.
Short Answer:-
Q: Can you overdose on DHA?
A: Depends on what it's made of. Some DHA is obtained from liver such as cod liver oil, which contain the Retinol form of Vitamin A, which should be avoided altogether by pregnant mothers since it's toxic. Pregnant mothers should avoid eating food that contains liver. If the DHA is obtain from the body of the fish, then it is safe, and you won't really overdose on that. Also if you're taking DHA supplement, make sure it is molecular distilled or obtained from originating algae. Otherwise it may contain dangerous environmental pollutants such as mercury, dioxins and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which can interfere with the development of the baby during pregnancy.
Q: How much DHA should I take?
A: According to Omega3FAQ.com, the National Institutes of Health and the International Society for the Study of Fats and Lipids recommends a minimum of 300 mg of DHA a day.This website recommends that if you don't think your DHA intake is sufficient, you can take 100mg of DHA supplement daily. Generally, if you are taking 2 - 3 servings of fatty fish per week, it should be sufficient. However, be very careful in choosing which fish to eat as some of them has high level of contaminant such as mercury and should be avoided altogther. Look for the title "What type of fish can I eat?" under the Long Answer.
Q: So should I take DHA supplement?
A: If you feel that you are not taking enough DHA, then it's a good idea to supplement, since DHA is particularly important to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. With regards to dosage, anywhere between 100mg to 300mg, depending on your normal diet, should be sufficient.
Thus ends the Short Answer.
Here comes the Long Answer.
Long Answer:-
Q: What is DHA?
A: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an Omega-3 essential fatty acid. DHA is the fundamental building block of the brain.
Q: What are the benefits of DHA?
A: An excerpt taken from the article "The Omega-3 that should be on your mind" by Dr. David Perlmutter says this:
"It is essential that the fetus receive DHA while in the womb for optimal brain and eye development. Moreover, recent studies clearly show that infants who receive optimal levels of DHA in the womb and through nursing perform better on cognitive tests.
But DHA is not just baby food. Clinical studies show that in healthy adults, high consumption of DHA is associated with a reduced risk for developing Alzheimer's, dementia and age-related macular degeneration, a major cause of blindness. Low levels of DHA in red blood cells are associated with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in children, as well as cognitive decline in the elderly."
According to an article "DHA & Pregnancy: Should women take a DHA supplement while pregnant?", the author, Julie King, listed a few benefits of DHA to pregnant mothers:-
1. DHA & Children's IQ: Studies seems to proof that DHA helps to improve the development of the brain and might actually produce smarter babies.
2. DHA helps to prevent preterm labour: Research has shown that women who take DHA supplements during the last trimester of their pregnancy are more likely to carries their babies to term.
3. DHA & postpartum depression: studies have shown that women who have a higher intake of DHA in pregnancy are less likely to suffer from postpartum depression after giving birth.
The article also says that DHA is found naturally within breastmilk. It is also added to infant formulas because it is believed to be an essential nutrient that helps assist in the brain and eye development in babies and young children.
Read the full article here.
Q: How much DHA should I take?
A: National Institutes of Health and the International Society for the Study of Fats and Lipids recommends that healthy adults consume a minimum of 220 mg of DHA a day. The panel also recommends that pregnant and nursing women consume at least 300 mg of DHA a day.
Q: What are the sources of DHA.
A: Food that contains DHA are :-
- nuts
- seeds
- eggs
- soy beans
- tofu
- cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts
- Cold-water fish, such as mackerel, salmon, herring, sardines, black cod, anchovies, and albacore tuna
- Cod liver oil (should be avoided by pregnant mothers as it contains vitamin A)
- Fatty / oily fish
- microalgae
- and of course, fish oil supplements
When you buy fish oil supplements, ensures the quality and purity of the product. Fish oil supplements that have gone through the process of molecular distillation is safer as it will not contain dangerous environmental pollutants such as dioxins, mercury, and PCBs which can interfere with the foetus's development. Another alternative is to go for "fish oil" supplement made of microalgae, which is where the fish got their source of DHA at the first place.
The omega-3 fatty acids found in plants such as whole grains nuts and seeds is ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid), but what you really need are long-chain omega3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA that are found in fatty acids. In theory, our body can convert ALA into the long-chain omega 3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA. However, it's extremely difficult for the body to do so. And, even when it does happen, the amounts produced are too small to have any significant effect. So fatty/oily fish is still the best sourse for DHA and EPA. HOWEVER not all fish are safe to be eaten. Which begs the next question.
Q: What type of fish can I eat?
A: According to The U.S. FDA and EPA:-
"By following these 3 recommendations for selecting and eating fish or shellfish, women and young children will receive the benefits of eating fish and shellfish and be confident that they have reduced their exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.
1. DO NOT eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
2. Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.
3. Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that week.
Follow these same recommendations when feeding fish and shellfish to your young child, but serve smaller portions."
You can read the full article by FDA and EPA here, which I highly recommend that you do so.
To get the mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish compiled by FDA and EPA, click here.
You can also read the article "The Best Types of Fish for Health" by Mark Stibich, Ph.D. from About.com.
Q: Why should pregnant mothers avoid liver (including cod liver oil) altogether?
A: Vitamin A comes in two forms, animal based, which is retinol, and plant based which is betacarotene. Liver, and liver products such as pate, liver sausage, even cod liver oil, contains very high levels of the retinol form of vitamin A, which can be harmful to your developing baby, particularly in the first trimester. To read more on this subject, you can visit these 2 websites:-
1. Babycentre.co.uk
2. Bio-medicine.org
In conclusion:
Pregnant and nursing mothers should make it a point to take enough DHA. Eating the recommended amount of fatty fish together with DHA supplement of high quality and purity should give you the sufficient amount of DHA needed for you and your baby. As long as you follow the guidelines found in this post and in all the 3rd party articles provided here in, you should be pretty safe. Of course, feel free to search around for more information if you want and I'd appreciate if you share any interesting findings with me :).
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Showing posts with label pregnant mother's health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnant mother's health. Show all posts
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Can "Anti" And "Pro" Co-exist?
What I'm referring to here is of course, antibiotics and probiotics.
My wife is now slightly over her 1st trimester of her pregnancy. Towards the end of the 1st trimester and the beginning of her 2nd trimester, she noticed some spotting (bleeding). Naturally we got worried because in all her previous pregnancies, she spotted and had to be bed rested. We thank God that this time around, throughout the 1st trimester she did not really experience any spotting.
We decided to go see her doctor, and through ultrasound scan, the doctor said that she has some infection, which is one of the common causes of spotting during the 2nd and 3rd trimester. Her advice was to take a very mild but effective antibiotic. She also asked my wife to take probiotic together not only because it will prevent the growth of bad bacteria, it will also help in reducing the side effects of the antibiotic. She instructed that my wife should take the antibiotic in the morning and night and the probiotic in the afternoon.
So, my wife, being the very cautious person she is, asked me to go online to confirm if it is ok to take antibiotic and probiotic together.
What I learn is as below:-
1. You can take antibiotic and probiotic together, just don't take them at the same time within a day. One website that I read recommended taking probiotic 2 hours after taking the antibiotic, and another website recommended taking probiotic 4 hours after taking the antibiotic. Either case I think it's quite safe.
2. Taking antibiotic and probiotic at the same time will render the probiotic ineffective as the antibiotic will kill ALL bacteria indiscriminately.
3. Taking probiotic when you take antibiotic is essential because after killing all the bacteria, you need to populate your gut with good bacteria, otherwise the bad (pathogenic) bacteria will grow. By taking probiotic during antibiotic therapy helps to keep the intestine flora in proper balance. It'll also help to minimize the destructive effects of antibiotics to the bacterial flora. Some even advice to increase your probiotic intake 2 or 3 times the normal amount for about 10 days after the antibiotic treatment is completed. However I'm not very sure if this is adviceable for pregnant mothers, you can always check with your healthcare provider.
4. Probiotics are food and are good for pregnant mothers and their growing babies.
5. We do need a little bit of bad (pathogenic) bacteria in our body. According to one website. The ratio of good to bad bacteria should be about 85:15.
The above are some of my findings regarding to this topic. In any case, my question has been answered. Please read the following articles for more information on probiotics and antibiotics.
1. Probiotics And Antibiotics
2. Probiotics And Pregnancy - What You Should Know (Part 1)
3. Probiotics And Pregnancy - What You Should Know (Part 2)
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My wife is now slightly over her 1st trimester of her pregnancy. Towards the end of the 1st trimester and the beginning of her 2nd trimester, she noticed some spotting (bleeding). Naturally we got worried because in all her previous pregnancies, she spotted and had to be bed rested. We thank God that this time around, throughout the 1st trimester she did not really experience any spotting.
We decided to go see her doctor, and through ultrasound scan, the doctor said that she has some infection, which is one of the common causes of spotting during the 2nd and 3rd trimester. Her advice was to take a very mild but effective antibiotic. She also asked my wife to take probiotic together not only because it will prevent the growth of bad bacteria, it will also help in reducing the side effects of the antibiotic. She instructed that my wife should take the antibiotic in the morning and night and the probiotic in the afternoon.
So, my wife, being the very cautious person she is, asked me to go online to confirm if it is ok to take antibiotic and probiotic together.
What I learn is as below:-
1. You can take antibiotic and probiotic together, just don't take them at the same time within a day. One website that I read recommended taking probiotic 2 hours after taking the antibiotic, and another website recommended taking probiotic 4 hours after taking the antibiotic. Either case I think it's quite safe.
2. Taking antibiotic and probiotic at the same time will render the probiotic ineffective as the antibiotic will kill ALL bacteria indiscriminately.
3. Taking probiotic when you take antibiotic is essential because after killing all the bacteria, you need to populate your gut with good bacteria, otherwise the bad (pathogenic) bacteria will grow. By taking probiotic during antibiotic therapy helps to keep the intestine flora in proper balance. It'll also help to minimize the destructive effects of antibiotics to the bacterial flora. Some even advice to increase your probiotic intake 2 or 3 times the normal amount for about 10 days after the antibiotic treatment is completed. However I'm not very sure if this is adviceable for pregnant mothers, you can always check with your healthcare provider.
4. Probiotics are food and are good for pregnant mothers and their growing babies.
5. We do need a little bit of bad (pathogenic) bacteria in our body. According to one website. The ratio of good to bad bacteria should be about 85:15.
The above are some of my findings regarding to this topic. In any case, my question has been answered. Please read the following articles for more information on probiotics and antibiotics.
1. Probiotics And Antibiotics
2. Probiotics And Pregnancy - What You Should Know (Part 1)
3. Probiotics And Pregnancy - What You Should Know (Part 2)
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Sunday, February 15, 2009
Shit Happens, and lots of it! (Oh the smell!)
My youngest son, the 2 1/2 year old, is having the worst diarrhoea (or diarrhea depending on where you're from) that our kids had ever had. Even the worst that my 6 yo experienced was nothing like this. That being said, we thank God that there's still no need for him to be hospitalized. One thing that I could never understand though, is how can such disgusting, terribly foul smelling stuff comes out of such a cute tiny little body?? Even the fart! Oh me oh my, LOL!! Well, I guess shit happens, but that's not the end of it. The next day, it was my turn to have diarrhoea, about as bad as his but I dare say no where near as foul smelling as his. Then the day after, it was my mom's turn (she is staying with us). Like I said, lots of shit happened, and will probably continue on for another day or two.
Let's talk about my son since I'm most worried about him. His stool was very watery and every time after he drank some water, he passed it out almost immediately. I guessed that's the reason why it's recommended for them to take sips of water. The first night that he had diarrhoea, he soiled easily about 8 heavy diapers.
We got pretty worried, so the next day we decided to get some Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS). Can be obtained easily from any pharmacy. Just add one packet to 8 oz (240 ml) of water (or according to what the instruction says) and shake well. We used a water tumbler and let him take small sips through out the day. You can also use a bottle for younger children. He's acting well, still playing, active, but gets tired easily, didn't have much of an appetite and was eating less than usual, but we weren't really worried about that as long as he is well hydrated.
Today is the third day for him (and 2nd for myself). I pray tomorrow we'll all be fine. One thing though, all my life I always thought that diarrhoea is not contagious, until about 4 years ago, when a doctor told me otherwise. Well, I guess diarrhoea itself is not contagious but the microorganism that causes it is. So always practice proper hygiene especially after changing a soiled diaper, or you may find yourself, or another member in your family, follow suit with the slam dunking action.
Since my wife is just over 3 months pregnant, she was quite worried that she may catch it too. So in her visit to her gynaecologist today, she asked about it, and the doctor said that once or twice of soft stool is ok, if it's more severe, she better get it treated. The doctor was afraid that too much stress and strain may cause her to pass out the foetus!! LOL! Lucky she asked as she may very well catch it. Guess her paranoia pays off eh.
To learn more about diarrhoea (especially in young children) and dealing with dehydration, you can visit the sites below:
1. Rehydration Project
2. Babycentre
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Let's talk about my son since I'm most worried about him. His stool was very watery and every time after he drank some water, he passed it out almost immediately. I guessed that's the reason why it's recommended for them to take sips of water. The first night that he had diarrhoea, he soiled easily about 8 heavy diapers.
We got pretty worried, so the next day we decided to get some Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS). Can be obtained easily from any pharmacy. Just add one packet to 8 oz (240 ml) of water (or according to what the instruction says) and shake well. We used a water tumbler and let him take small sips through out the day. You can also use a bottle for younger children. He's acting well, still playing, active, but gets tired easily, didn't have much of an appetite and was eating less than usual, but we weren't really worried about that as long as he is well hydrated.
Today is the third day for him (and 2nd for myself). I pray tomorrow we'll all be fine. One thing though, all my life I always thought that diarrhoea is not contagious, until about 4 years ago, when a doctor told me otherwise. Well, I guess diarrhoea itself is not contagious but the microorganism that causes it is. So always practice proper hygiene especially after changing a soiled diaper, or you may find yourself, or another member in your family, follow suit with the slam dunking action.
Since my wife is just over 3 months pregnant, she was quite worried that she may catch it too. So in her visit to her gynaecologist today, she asked about it, and the doctor said that once or twice of soft stool is ok, if it's more severe, she better get it treated. The doctor was afraid that too much stress and strain may cause her to pass out the foetus!! LOL! Lucky she asked as she may very well catch it. Guess her paranoia pays off eh.
To learn more about diarrhoea (especially in young children) and dealing with dehydration, you can visit the sites below:
1. Rehydration Project
2. Babycentre
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Friday, December 26, 2008
Impossible Morning Sickness??!!
I've heard of stories where the pregnant wife asked the husband to go out hunting for THE food of their desire (cravings) very late at night, or very early in the morning depending on how you look at it (I'll share a funny story in my next post); I've also heard of stories where the morning sickness is so bad that the wife just didn't feel like eating anything. How about a wife who's experiencing morning sickness and feels sensitive to most of the food, and still feel very hungry most of the time??
HOW, OH HOW, CAN I SATISFY MY WIFE??? WHAT SHOULD I DO???
Just the smell, and sometimes, just by thinking about some food, is enough to make her nauseous, and she also gets hungry pretty frequently. When I asked her if she's craving for any food or what does she feel like eating, she usually can't think of anything. Occasionally she may thought of something, but most of the time, nothing. And if I don't fill her stomach quick enough, she'll get nauseous again because being too hungry makes her want to vomit. Argh!!! Thank God she is someone who will try her best to make do with what's available to her, such as a cup of Milo with a few pieces of cream crackers or cereal, but it makes me feel helpless not being able to do anything for her.
Cream Crackers - believed to be good for combating morning sickness. Munch 1 or 2 pieces when you feel nauseous, it may help you to feel better.
Please Share: Feel free to share or leave a comment if you have any suggestions or advice for ME!! LOL! Or just share about your experiences. I'll be more than happy to hear them :)
For those who have not experience morning sickness, don't get me wrong, it's NOT a bad thing. Granted it's not a good feeling, and despite it's name (which is rather misleading), unfortunately morning sickness does not occur only in the morning but can affect you at any time of the day, and to some people is an all-day affair. Different people will have a different experience. Some mothers did not feel anything througout the whole duration of pregnancy (the lucky ones), some have mild discomfort and some are affected very badly. It also does not necessary last through out the whole pregnancy. Like for my wife, usually after the 1st trimester she will start feeling better. There are of course some unlucky ones who suffered from severe morning sickness throughout pretty much the whole 9 months.
Scary as it may sound, some people believes that having morning sickness usually means that your baby is healthy and growing well. According to Wikipedia, studies have shown that women who suffers from morning sickness are less likely to have miscarriages or to give birth to a baby with birth defects. There are of course doctors who disagree with it. Go and read more about it here. HOWEVER, not having any morning sickness does NOT mean that there's anything wrong with your pregnancy. I've met people who did not suffer from morning sickness but still gave birth to beautiful babies.
Moral of the story: Do your routine check up and listen to your gynecologist. Don't worry about having or not having any morning sickness. As long as you do your check ups, or if you are in doubt, just go to your doc, I'm sure he/she will tell you if there's anything wrong, and if the sickness is really bad, I'm sure your doc will be able to help you out by giving some anti-nausea medication.
To read more about morning sickness, you can look up Wikipedia. Another site that offers good and simple to understand information is www.morningsicknesshelp.com. Granted they are also trying to sell their products, but no harm in checking out good info.
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HOW, OH HOW, CAN I SATISFY MY WIFE??? WHAT SHOULD I DO???
Just the smell, and sometimes, just by thinking about some food, is enough to make her nauseous, and she also gets hungry pretty frequently. When I asked her if she's craving for any food or what does she feel like eating, she usually can't think of anything. Occasionally she may thought of something, but most of the time, nothing. And if I don't fill her stomach quick enough, she'll get nauseous again because being too hungry makes her want to vomit. Argh!!! Thank God she is someone who will try her best to make do with what's available to her, such as a cup of Milo with a few pieces of cream crackers or cereal, but it makes me feel helpless not being able to do anything for her.
Cream Crackers - believed to be good for combating morning sickness. Munch 1 or 2 pieces when you feel nauseous, it may help you to feel better.Please Share: Feel free to share or leave a comment if you have any suggestions or advice for ME!! LOL! Or just share about your experiences. I'll be more than happy to hear them :)
For those who have not experience morning sickness, don't get me wrong, it's NOT a bad thing. Granted it's not a good feeling, and despite it's name (which is rather misleading), unfortunately morning sickness does not occur only in the morning but can affect you at any time of the day, and to some people is an all-day affair. Different people will have a different experience. Some mothers did not feel anything througout the whole duration of pregnancy (the lucky ones), some have mild discomfort and some are affected very badly. It also does not necessary last through out the whole pregnancy. Like for my wife, usually after the 1st trimester she will start feeling better. There are of course some unlucky ones who suffered from severe morning sickness throughout pretty much the whole 9 months.
Scary as it may sound, some people believes that having morning sickness usually means that your baby is healthy and growing well. According to Wikipedia, studies have shown that women who suffers from morning sickness are less likely to have miscarriages or to give birth to a baby with birth defects. There are of course doctors who disagree with it. Go and read more about it here. HOWEVER, not having any morning sickness does NOT mean that there's anything wrong with your pregnancy. I've met people who did not suffer from morning sickness but still gave birth to beautiful babies.
Moral of the story: Do your routine check up and listen to your gynecologist. Don't worry about having or not having any morning sickness. As long as you do your check ups, or if you are in doubt, just go to your doc, I'm sure he/she will tell you if there's anything wrong, and if the sickness is really bad, I'm sure your doc will be able to help you out by giving some anti-nausea medication.
To read more about morning sickness, you can look up Wikipedia. Another site that offers good and simple to understand information is www.morningsicknesshelp.com. Granted they are also trying to sell their products, but no harm in checking out good info.
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