- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the Food & Nutrition Center, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she is certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 50 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and answering nutrition questions posed to Ask a Specialist.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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Jan. 17, 2009
Vitamin D: Benefits in pregnancy and beyond
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Vitamin D is a hot topic, so let's keep the discussion going...
Your prenatal level of vitamin D may play a role in determining your health later in life. Sound far fetched? It may not be.
During pregnancy, the active form of vitamin D increases significantly, particularly in the second and third trimesters. During this time, the baby's bones are developing, as are the brain, the nervous system, and the other organs.
Recently, a review published in the journal "Nutrition Reviews" looked at the research about vitamin D and maternal, fetal, and infant health. Although much more research is required, it appears that vitamin D contributes to improving pregnancy outcomes, such as decreasing the risk of pre-eclampsia, and improving length of gestation, birth weight, and infant bone mineralization. It also appears that sufficient vitamin D in early life may decrease the risk of health problems later in life such as schizophrenia, brain tumors, asthma, multiple sclerosis, and autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes.
These findings don't mean you should run to the local pharmacy for a mega dose of vitamin D. In fact, the article also warns of potential adverse effects of too much vitamin D on the cardiovascular system and allergies. Much is still to be learned and hopefully gained from further research. But here's what I can share as safe advice now:
If you are pregnant:
- Take a prenatal vitamin. If you can't tolerate that, take a regular multivitamin. Look for one with at least 200 international units of vitamin D (the U.S. recommended daily allowance).
- The current tolerable upper limit is 2000 IU. The Canadian Pediatric Society actually suggests that this level may be appropriate for winter pregnancies.
If you have infants/children:
- Infants fed breast milk need a vitamin D supplement, 400 international units daily, according to a 2008 report of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
- Infants fed formula need a vitamin D supplement until they are drinking at least a liter of formula daily. Again, the AAP recommends up to 400 international units to complement the amount in formula. Consult with your child's doctor or dietitian.
- Older children drinking less than a quart of vitamin D-fortified milk daily need a vitamin D supplement, up to 400 international units daily.
- Infants and children are at greater risk of toxicity — so be cautious with your dosing and administration.
To you and your children's health,
Katherine
10 comments posted
- Lucas RM. et al. Future health implications of prenatal and early-life vitamin D status. Nutrition Reviews 2008; 66(12):710.
- Dietary supplement fact sheet: Vitamin D. National Institutes of Health, 2008. http://ods.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD_pf.asp. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Vitamin D supplementation: Recommendations for Canadian mothers and infants. Paediatrics & Child Health. 2007;12(7):583. http://www.cps.ca/English/statements/iii/fnim07-01.htm. Accessed Jan. 12, 2008.
- Wagner CL, et al. Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children and adolescents. Pediatrics 2008;122:1142.
10 comments posted