Nutrition and pregnancy

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nutrition-and-pregnancy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the pre-conception nutritional status?Influences fetal development and lifelong health risks
2. What is the folic acid's role?Critical for preventing neural tube defects, recommended preconceptionally
3. What foods should a mom eat to help her baby grow strong?A balanced diet with protein, fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats like fish helps the baby grow. Folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, omega‑3, and choline are especially important.
4. Why is folic acid important before a baby is born?Folic acid helps the baby's brain and spine form correctly and can stop problems like spina bifida. It is best to start taking it before pregnancy begins.

Epigenetic Modifications: Changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence.
Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR): A condition where a fetus does not grow at the expected rate inside the uterus.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs): A group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy.