cium absorption depends in part on 
the amounts of other nutrients in the 
diet. For example, phosphorus has an 
important effect on calcium absorp- 
tion; the higher the concentration of 
phosphorus in the mother’s diet, the 
less calcium is absorbed. One major 
source of phosphorus in the American 
diet is certain types of carbonated soft 
drinks. Therefore, it is a good idea 
for a pregnant woman to limit her 
intake of those drinks. 
One nutrient for which the in- 
creased requirement in pregnancy can- 
not be satisfied by a balanced increase 
in the amount of food consumed is 
folic acid, a vitamin necessary for cell 
division. The American diet barely sat- 
isfies the body’s normal demand for 
this vitamin. In fact, folic acid de- 
ficiency is among the most common 
of vitamin deficiencies. During preg- 
nancy, when both the uterus and the 
mother are manufacturing many new 
cells, supplementing the intake of folic 
acid is advisable unless special care 
is taken to consume foods rich in the 
vitamin. Special attention must also 
be paid to providing the fetus with 
a sufficient amount of vitamin B 6 (py- 
rodoxine). This vitamin is generally 
available in a normal diet, but in 
women who were on contraceptive 
pills for a long time prior to pregnancy, 
B 6 stores may be depleted and, at least 
early in pregnancy, supplementation 
may be warranted. 
If we have learned anything about 
pregnancy in the past decade, it is 
that maternal nutrition and maternal 
weight gain during pregnancy will di- 
rectly affect fetal growth. During 
pregnancy the mother must prepare 
herself so as to insure both the survival 
of the fetus and the survival of the 
infant after birth. To put it simply, 
poor nutrition interferes with these 
preparations and serves to retard the 
growth of the fetus. Thus mothers 
should eat more and gain more than 
was recommended in the past. For 
most women, just following the dic- 
tates of their appetites will result in 
the required minimum gain of twenty- 
five pounds. In this way they will allow 
their fetus to grow properly and at 
the same time prepare themselves ade- 
quately for the period of lactation that 
may follow. 
Myron Winick is the director of the 
Institute of Human Nutrition and a 
professor of nutrition and pediatrics 
at the College of Physicians and Sur- 
geons at Columbia University. 
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