
Dr Lathiesh
Dr. Lathiesh Kumar Kambham is a Neonatologist and Paediatrician with over 12 years of experience. He has a special interest in the management of birth asphyxiated babies and extreme preterms and ha More
Reviewed by Dr Lathiesh MBBS, MD (Pediatrics)
DM (Neonatology), Lead Neonatology and NICU Services
Aster Women & Children's Hospital
17 years of experience
Dr. Lathiesh Kumar Kambham is a Neonatologist and Paediatrician with over 12 years of experience. He has a special interest in the management of birth asphyxiated babies and extreme preterms and ha More
Written by Editorial Team
A woman’s body undergoes a lot of changes during pregnancy as do its requirements. The demand for vitamins, minerals, and all other nutrients increases during pregnancy. How important is magnesium during pregnancy? When you are pregnant, you need to take good care of what you eat, keeping in mind not only your health but also the health of your unborn baby.
Any nutritional deficiency during pregnancy can bring about significant issues for both mother and child. While you can be careful about many nutrients, one nutrient that many women tend to overlook easily is magnesium. Continue reading to know more about the importance of magnesium during pregnancy and the different sources of magnesium.
In This Article
Magnesium is an essential mineral during pregnancy. It plays a vital role in maintaining both maternal and fetal health.
Magnesium plays a vital role in fetal development. Magnesium deficiency is often related to poor fetal growth.
During pregnancy, magnesium deficiency can:
The symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:
Healthy individuals excrete more amount of magnesium in the blood through the kidneys and go into the urine. If you take a more amount of magnesium all at once time, some amount of the dosage goes through the intestine and is once again excreted with the stool – so less amount will increase the intake by the body.
This can lead to a side effect, namely that magnesium’s slightly laxative effect mitigates constipation that occurs during pregnancy time. So Taking a few doses of magnesium throughout the day can prevent this side effect easily.
You can easily meet your magnesium requirement with a healthy, planned diet. In addition, magnesium is a part of many prenatal vitamin supplements. It is fairly impossible to take more magnesium than required through a diet. On the other hand, excess magnesium intake, which can easily happen while taking supplements, is very harmful to your body.
Magnesium overdose can cause cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, low pressure, muscle weakness, and toxicity. Therefore, opt for magnesium supplements as a last resource. Seek your doctor’s advice before you go in for magnesium supplements.
Magnesium supplements are not necessary as it is possible to get all the magnesium amount you require from a healthy and balanced diet. And also prenatal vitamins contain some amount of magnesium in them. If you think you aren’t getting enough amount of magnesium from your diet, you can consult your doctor about prescribing some magnesium supplements, and he will prescribe them.
Magnesium can be added to your diet through a combination of a healthy diet, prenatal vitamins, and supplements also. Supplements are ideal when magnesium is not getting in the required amount from your diet, or you fail to eat enough amount of magnesium from your diet. Then please consult a doctor before taking the magnesium supplements since overdosing on magnesium leads to blood toxicity, muscle cramps, and also other health issues.
There are plenty of magnesium-rich foods that can be added to the daily menu so that your daily requirement of magnesium can be met without depending on magnesium supplements. Here are fifteen rich sources of magnesium
Why magnesium citrate is beneficial during pregnancy. There are many reasons for it. Some of the uses and benefits of magnesium citrate are given below:
Consult with your doctor before taking on the dosage of Magnesium Citrate Intake and don’t take without the advice of your doctor.
Here is one important tip. Get enough sunlight. This will help with magnesium absorption by the body. Also, cooking will decrease the magnesium content. Just design your menu around these food sources to ensure that you and your unborn baby are getting enough magnesium!
What did you include in your pregnancy diet? Do share it with us in the comments section below.
Have a healthy, happy, and relaxing pregnancy!
There is no increased risk of perinatal death or other adverse outcomes for neonates when magnesium is used during pregnancy in needed quantities for neuroprotective purposes.
Magnesium supplementation is also beneficial for sleep, bone health, and muscular cramping. Doctors advise taking 125 to 300 mg of magnesium glycinate or citrate with meals and before bedtime.
Low magnesium levels are connected with an increased chance of miscarriage. According to one study, 100% of infertile women who corrected their magnesium and selenium levels had children. Low magnesium levels may also be linked to birth abnormalities.
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