What to eat if your baby is small for gestational age

A baby who is underweight for their actual gestational age may be due to causes such as:

- Your diet not being suitable or not enough to meet your baby's growth needs.

- Being pregnant at a very young age (under 18).

- Pregnancies spaced too closely together.

- Having pregnancy-related medical conditions.

- Not getting enough rest, or overworking.

To address a baby being underweight, attend all your check-ups and have the screening tests your doctor recommends.

In addition, don't overwork, sleep at least 8 hours a day and try not to let yourself get stressed.

Nutrition is also very important. You don't need to eat too much, but you do need to eat sensibly. Some mums-to-be eat a lot but their baby is still underweight because their diet is unbalanced.

If your baby is underweight, eat more animal protein such as beef, chicken, prawns, crab, eggs, milk… You still need to keep a balance of fibre, vitamins and other minerals. Eat more vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, and fruit. Please see the diet recommended for each stage of pregnancy for more information.

You also need iron, calcium and folic acid supplements throughout pregnancy as prescribed by your doctor to make sure your baby grows healthily.

Momby wishes you and your baby good health throughout your pregnancy!

References: Long Chau Pharmacy