The nutritional needs of the fetus are satisfied by the secretions of the endometrial lining of the fallopian tubes and uterus and by its yolk sac.

Adequate choline intake during pregnancy is associated with the development of the fetal brain and a reduction in birth defects. Eggs are an excellent food source of choline.

“Fetal programming” or the “Barker Hypothesis” refers to the conditions during gestation (ranging from hormone secretion to placental delivery of nutrients) that shape the health of the fetus as an adult. For example, a link has been established between low birth weight in babies and coronary heart disease and hypertension in adulthood.

Pregnant women should avoid which sugar substitute? This non-nutritive sweetener crosses the placenta and accumulates in fetal tissues.

The most critical times for a pregnant woman to consume adequate amounts of folate to reduce the risk of neural tube defects are several months before conception and during the first month of pregnancy. The recommended amount of folate (or folic acid) prior to pregnancy is 400 micrograms per day.

Iron is particularly important during the final weeks of pregnancy. During the final weeks, greater amounts of iron are passed through the placenta to the fetus for storage. This stored iron will be used to support red blood cell production, nerve production and other iron-dependent functions during the newborn’s initial 6 months of life when iron-poor breast milk should be the sole source of nutrition.

If a woman enters pregnancy at an appropriate weight for height, what is the recommended total weight gain for a singleton pregnancy?

What is term used to indicate the changes in salinity  as function of depth in an aquatic environment?

To ensure proper brain and visual development in the fetus, a pregnant woman should consume each day at least 300 milligrams of omega-3 docosahexaenoic fatty acid (DHA).

To prevent pathologic anemia of pregnancy, pregnant women should consume how many milligrams of iron daily?