The dietary calcium intake of pregnant women in Taiwan is among the lowest in high-income countries, a Kaohsiung doctor said on Sunday, citing a global study published last year.
The report, published in the BJOG, an international journal of obstetrics and gynecology, in October, was a meta-analysis of 105 studies from 37 countries, totaling 73,958 pregnant women, Sing Wish Hospital obstetrician-gynecologist Tseng I-chieh (曾翌捷) said.
The meta-analysis found that pregnant women in high-income nations consume 948.3mg of calcium per day on average, while pregnant women in low and middle-income countries consume just 647.6mg per day, he said.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
According to a 2013 study used in the meta-analysis, pregnant women in Taiwan reported an average daily calcium intake of 578mg between 2005 and 2007, behind China (602mg), South Korea (600mg) and Japan (563mg), Tseng added.
These numbers are lower than the Health Promotion Administration’s recommended amount.
The agency recommends that pregnant women consume 1,000mg of calcium per day and gradually increase that amount to between 1,500mg and 2,000mg as their child’s gestational age increases.
A study conducted by the Taiwan Material and Fetal Medicine Society in 2014 also showed that although more than 80 percent of pregnant women surveyed were aware of the importance of calcium, only 10.3 percent consumed an adequate amount each day.
Calcium deficiency in pregnant women could make them more prone to cramps, lead to hypertension during pregnancy or even affect the fetus’ bone mineral density and bone development, said Huang Ming-chao (黃閔照), director of Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology department and secretary-general of the Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Doctors typically suggest that women take calcium supplements during pregnancy, he said.
However, the absorption of calcium depends on vitamin D and Taiwanese generally do not get enough vitamin D, whether from sunlight or other sources, he said.
As a result, pregnant women in Taiwan are often advised to take calcium supplements that also contain vitamin D, he said.
Dietitians have recommended that pregnant women drink a glass of milk in the morning and at night before they go to bed, and replace snacks with a glass of milk.
One 240ml cup of whole milk contains about 240mg of calcium, Taipei Veterans General Hospital dietitian Shu Yi-fang (舒宜芳) said.
Pregnant women can also increase their calcium intake by eating more soy products and greens, Tseng said.
Vegetables that are high in calcium include amaranth, Chinese broccoli, gynura, potato leaves and mung bean sprouts, he said, adding that a glass of soy milk and 19g of egg yolk each contain about 30mg of calcium.
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