Do pregnant women need a lot of calcium supplements?

　　Most pregnant women in my country are deficient in calcium

　　female During pregnancy, the body will lose a lot of calcium, and pregnant women need to supplement calcium because fetus All calcium required for development comes from the mother. In other words, a considerable part of the existing calcium in the pregnant woman's body must enter the baby's body. If the calcium intake of pregnant women is insufficient, it will have a greater impact on the fetus and the pregnant woman herself. When there is a mild calcium deficiency, the body will mobilize calcium from the maternal bones to maintain normal blood calcium. When there is severe calcium deficiency, pregnant women may experience leg cramps and even cause osteomalacia. Maternal calcium deficiency will also have adverse effects on the growth and development of the fetus. After birth, skull softening, wide bone sutures, and abnormal fontanel closure are prone to occur.

　　A mature fetus contains about 30 grams of calcium. Considering that in the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy, the average daily fetal accumulation is 7 mg, 110 mg and 350 mg respectively, plus the maternal calcium metabolic balance requirement of 300 mg/day, and the human body's dietary calcium absorption rate of 30%, the 2000 "Reference Intake of Dietary Nutrients for Chinese Residents" recommends 1000 mg/day of calcium for women in the second trimester and 1200 mg/day in the third trimester. However, research shows that the actual dietary calcium intake of pregnant women in my country is 500 mg/day to 800 mg/day. According to this standard, the calcium intake of many pregnant women in my country is currently insufficient. Of course, since each pregnant woman has different eating habits, her actual calcium intake is also different. Therefore, the calcium supplement for pregnant women should vary from person to person.

　　How do pregnant women supplement calcium? Pregnant women often experience calf cramps when they are 6 months pregnant. In the past, they were thought to be caused by calcium deficiency. In fact, leg cramps are not entirely caused by calcium deficiency. After 6 months of pregnancy, huge Uterus and placenta can compress pelvic blood vessels and nerve , especially when lying on your back. The blood vessels and nerves in the legs come from the pelvic cavity. If the pelvic cavity is compressed, the natural blood vessels in the legs will be blocked. Chinese medicine says that blockage leads to pain, which is one of the causes of leg cramps. A pregnant woman who gave birth prematurely took out a stillborn fetus through cesarean section. The placenta was completely covered with calcifications as hard as cement. After investigation, it turned out that it was caused by the pregnant woman taking 3 calcium tablets a day since she was 6 months pregnant.

　　After 5 months of pregnancy, the daily demand for calcium increases. This increase can be completely supplemented in daily meals, and there is no need to take calcium tablets. Foods containing calcium include pork, pork bone soup, pork belly, sheep liver, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, goat milk, soy products, cereals, bread, cakes, fresh vegetables and fruits, etc.