Unit 21: Nutrition for Health & Social Care - the needs of pregnant women and the elderly

Calcium:

Calcium is very important for the mother and the fetus throughout the pregnancy, allowing the baby’s bone and teeth formation. When its skeletal growth reaches its peak in the last three months, the fetus draws on the mother’s store. This is when the consumption of high calcium-containing foods such as milk and milk products must be increased, since a calcium deficiency will damage the mother's teeth and make her bones brittle.

Iron:

The demand for iron, essential for blood formation is also increased during pregnancy because the mother’s blood volume increases and the fetal red blood cells have to be developed. Iron is found is food such as in meat, fish, egg yolk, whole-grain products and vegetables.

Folic acid:

This vitamin supports the development of the fetal central nervous system and prevents developmental defects of the neutral tube (spina bifida). Folic acid is found in food such as vegetables, wheat germ, tropical fruits and in eggs. Additional folic acid intake is necessary in the months before pregnant and during the first trimester.

Older people...

Good nutrition and energy plays a vital role in the well-being and health of older people, but also helps delay and reduce the risk of developing diseases. It is very important to give more attention to texture and flavour of food as well as nutrient composition of food for older people because of changes such as loss of muscle and increase in fat, deterioration in taste, smell and state of teeth. The nutritional requirements of the older adults are the same as those for the rest of adult population. Older people should try to eat less saturated fat, eat more fibre and have a minimum of 6-8 glasses of fluid each day.  

However, due to a reduction in basal metabolic rate as a result of ageing and a possible reduction in levels of activity, older people require less energy than pregnant women. The level of energy required depends on a number of factors including age, gender, body composition, weight and activity levels. This means that energy requirements for older people will continue to decrease with increasing age due to loss of body muscle stores and reduction in activity levels. In those older people who have a very low energy requirements means that they are more likely to be in risk of their diet not meeting micronutrient e.g. vitamin and mineral.  The quality of the diet is therefore of prime importance to ensure that deficiencies do not develop. Like the rest of the elderly, older people should be encouraged to meet their energy requirements through a healthy diet.

Similarities: for both the elderly and pregnant/ breast feeding women, it is very important that they get the right amount of nutrition. For pregnant women/breast feeding because helps them fully protect their health and provide optimal growth and development of the unborn baby. And also for older people as it helps them by preventing diseases as they are more likely to be in risk.

Differences: For pregnant women it is very important that they get enough nutritional as well as calcium, iron and folic acid as it helps allowing the unborn baby’s bones and teeth formation and prevents developmental defects of the neutral tube (spina bifida).  They need to follow a healthy diet not only for their body, but more importantly for the development of their unborn child. The expression "eating for two" plainly describes this need for greater nutrient intake during pregnancy. Whereas older people do not need to drink and eat as much because they have already developed and stopped growing.