German National Consensus Recommendations on Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy by the ‘Healthy Start - Young Family Network’

Diet and physical activity before and during pregnancy affect
short- andlong-term health of mother and child. The energy needs at
the end ofpregnancy increase only by about 10% compared to
nonpregnant women. Anexcessive energy intake is undesirable since
maternal overweight andexcessive weight gain can increase the risks
for a high birth weight andlater child overweight and diabetes.
Maternal weight at the beginning ofpregnancy is especially
important for pregnancy outcome and childhealth. Women should
strive to achieve normal weight already beforepregnancy. Regular
physical activity can contribute to a healthy weightand to the
health of pregnant women. The need for certain nutrientsincreases
more than energy requirements. Before and during pregnancy,foods
with a high content of essential nutrients should bepreferentially
selected. Supplements should include folic acid andiodine, iron (in
case of suboptimal iron stores), the omega-3 fatty
aciddocosahexaenoic acid (in case of infrequent consumption of
ocean fish)and vitamin D (in case of decreased sun exposure and
decreasedendogenous vitamin D synthesis). Pregnant women should not
smoke and notstay in rooms where others smoke or have smoked before
(passivesmoking). Alcohol consumption should be avoided, since
alcohol can harmunborn children.