The norm of protein in the blood of pregnant women. Use proven folk remedies. Decrease in total blood protein, possible causes

For a long nine months of gestation, you have to take a huge number of tests. In some cases, the attending physician prescribes additional checks. A biochemical blood test is one of the mandatory studies and perfectly characterizes the general condition. Thanks to the analysis, hidden pathological phenomena are determined. Any deviations from the norm clearly indicate a problem in the female body. Low blood protein during pregnancy is a cause for concern. The lack of this microelement will adversely affect the development of the fetus if measures are not taken in time.

Protein functions and its significance

Protein is an organic polymer. Its composition is amino acids. During gestation, it is important to maintain normal protein. He is actively involved in vital processes:

• Normalizes and controls blood clotting;
• Creates a favorable environment for the full development of the placenta and the growth of the baby;
• Maintains the uterine body in good condition, prepares the mammary glands for feeding the baby;
• Promotes the accumulation of resources for breastfeeding after childbirth;
• Responsible for the state of the immune system;
• Helps transport nutrients to all internal organs;
• Maintains normal blood pressure, helps to avoid blood clots and edema.

Low protein levels pose a risk to the fetus with many complications. Therefore, do not forget to regularly donate blood, keep the situation under control. It is important to follow all medical prescriptions to maintain the required norm. Protein concentration affects the hormonal system, immunity, lipids, bilirubin. Its expanded spectrum affects the state of many internal processes. Therefore, it is very important to regularly monitor the amount of protein in the blood of expectant mothers.

What indicators are considered the norm for pregnant women

Total protein - the total amount of globulins and albumin that are in the serum of the blood fluid. The calculation of the indicator is made on an individual basis. It all depends on the age, gender and weight of the person. In the male body, the polypeptide level is slightly higher than in the female. With age in men, this level gradually decreases. The norm is considered - 65-85 g / l. After conception, the female body functions differently. Therefore, the indicators of protein concentration in the blood differ from the generally accepted norm. The level drops to about 55-65 g/l. Activation of the hormone progesterone in expectant mothers leads to the accumulation of fluids.

Therefore, there is a blood circulation in the greatest volume. For this reason, the protein content is reduced. This is especially noticeable in the third trimester of gestation. The closer the expected date of birth, the more noticeable the difference. Protein falls not only because of progesterone activity. Protein is an important component responsible for the full development and growth of the child.

The indicators of globulin fractions, as well as the protein norm, change throughout the gestation process. They rise to the highest values. What cannot be said about albumin, which, on the contrary, is on the decline. It is important to pay attention to proteinogram indicators. If everything is without deviations, then the pregnancy is going well, mom and baby are in perfect order.

What to do with low protein

Low levels of protein in the blood is called hypoproteinemia. This condition does not always indicate the presence of pathological processes in the female body. But this fact should not be ignored. In most cases, a decrease in proteins indicates problems with the digestive tract, an anemic reaction. It also makes itself felt markedly reduced immunity. Perhaps the functioning of the kidneys or liver is disrupted, the body is exhausted by hunger or exhausted by toxicosis.

Any of these conditions is a serious danger for both mom and baby. Doctors in the case of low protein in a pregnant woman prescribe a comprehensive examination to determine the cause. It is very important to diagnose hypoproteinemia in time. For this, the patient must unconditionally do screenings.

To clarify the situation, a biochemical blood test is done, which is included in the list of mandatory checks. Blood for checking protein concentration is taken from a vein, in the early morning and on an empty stomach.

What affects the decrease in blood protein in pregnant women

There are several reasons why the formation of new protein elements in expectant mothers stops. It's no secret that many women suffer from bouts of nausea and debilitating vomiting. In this state, there is practically no appetite. Mommy can't look at food, let alone eat. Loss of appetite does not occur out of the blue. Family problems or depressed mood do not cause the desire to eat. In the end, the pregnant woman eats in small portions, often refuses food containing protein. This inevitably leads to protein deficiency in the body.

A protein decrease in the blood is often observed in expectant mothers who are afraid to gain excess weight. Refusal of healthy food with proteins is an unhealthy diet, leading to an insufficient concentration of protein in the blood. Failure of the liver or the presence of kidney pathologies also lead to insufficient protein production by the body. Problems with the gastrointestinal tract (nausea, heartburn, etc.) are also frequent and are a serious reason to see a doctor. Such symptoms often indicate possible problems with the amount of protein in the body.

In addition to these factors, there are others. These are intoxication, thermal burns, problems with the thyroid gland, heredity, bleeding, hepatitis, pancreatitis. Protein deficiency is caused by oncological processes, cirrhosis, etc. For any suspicious signs, you should immediately consult a doctor.

What are the symptoms of low protein?

Reduced protein can be determined by the characteristic symptoms. The following manifestations should not be ignored:

1. Low osmotic pressure has a distinctive feature in the form of edema. Excessive puffiness is a lack of protein compounds in the body.
2. Proteins are the basis for the proper formation and growth of the fetus. With their lack in the blood of the expectant mother, the baby develops poorly and gains weight. This pathology is visible with ultrasound and with measurements of the abdomen.
3. Liver dysfunction is a consequence of low protein.
4. During pregnancy, the volume of blood fluid decreases. Blood vessels constrict, increasing pressure in them for normal blood circulation. Consequently, a woman's blood pressure rises during the gestation period.
5. The first sign of low protein is that the mom-to-be is not gaining weight. Elevated hemoglobin in this situation indicates a thickening of the blood, since its total volume decreases. This means less protein.
6. Eclampsia and preeclampsia are dangerous visual pathologies. Headaches, convulsions, reflex hyperactivity - all of these disorders occur as a result of preeclampsia. At home, it is not possible to improve the well-being of a pregnant woman. Therefore, hospital treatment is the best reasonable solution.

How to get your protein levels back to normal

Pregnant women often face such a phenomenon as a decrease in blood proteins. There are several ways to improve the situation. To normalize the protein concentration, it is necessary to establish the cause. Hypoproteinemia requires an individual approach. Otherwise, any attempts will not be successful. Careful diagnosis will help to successfully identify the etiology factor.

With malnutrition or lack of appetite, you can bring the protein level back to normal with the help of a special diet. There are especially severe cases in which medical intervention is indispensable. You may need medical treatment.

How to Increase Protein While Dieting

A lot depends on food, it's not a secret. The lowest protein level needs to be increased. This can be done with food. A special dietary diet is a well-composed menu containing meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, nuts, and legumes. The main recommendation of dietitians is 4 meals a day. Do not forget to drink mineral water at least 1.5 liters.

Alcoholic drinks and cigarettes for pregnant women are strictly prohibited. To compile the menu, you should contact a qualified specialist. In this way, the desired levels of protein in the blood can be gradually achieved. An individual approach is required, since many women in the situation have chronic diseases. The diet is compiled taking into account the distinctive features of the body. A dietitian will, if necessary, make corrections, eliminate unnecessary and add the necessary foods.

Variety is an important part to consider when compiling a menu. Nobody likes the same food. High-fat protein foods should be eaten in limited quantities. These foods include chicken eggs, fatty meats, and some dairy products. Do not overeat, high protein foods require caution. It is better to gradually introduce protein-fortified foods into your diet. If you do not know the measure, then the negative reaction of the body in the form of poisoning will not be long in coming.

Recovery with medication

In the event that a lack of protein has arisen against the background of a pathological phenomenon, the doctor prescribes drug therapy. The type of drug and dosage depend on the general health of the pregnant woman. Also from a specific diagnosis. For serious problems with the kidneys, liver or gastrointestinal tract, the treatment course is carried out only in a medical institution.

Scientists have not yet come up with a special pill that can quickly increase blood proteins. Each case needs an individual approach, a detailed study of the symptoms. It is permissible for pregnant women to take drugs that are absolutely safe for the fetus. Similar studies were carried out for many years in order to avoid the slightest risk. Under no circumstances should you treat yourself. It is foolish to endanger a child by taking pills on the advice of girlfriends. Drug therapy is carried out only under the supervision of a specialist.

Signs of high protein

Sometimes during pregnancy, the concentration of proteins in the blood increases. Hyperproteinemia is the name given to this pathological phenomenon. Extremes are always bad. A high level, just like a low one, is a serious deviation; such indicators should not be ignored. A high protein concentration often indicates abnormalities such as.

It is with disorders of protein metabolism, with protein deficiency, that many complications during pregnancy are associated. Below you will see why.

Hthat provide proteins during pregnancy:

Growth and development of the baby, placenta, uterus and mammary glands of the mother (building role), as well as supplies to be used during breastfeeding

Transport of nutrients, vitamins, microelements (including iron), calcium (transport role)

Immune protection, since antibodies against bacteria and viruses are proteins (protective role)

Optimal work of the coagulation and anticoagulation systems (no bleeding or blood clots occur) (from 4-5 months of pregnancy, the content of fibrinogen, prothrombin, blood coagulation factors V, VII, VIII, X increases - all these are proteins)

Maintaining the osmotic pressure of the plasma; this is a property that does not allow the liquid part of the blood to leave the vascular bed, thereby preventing the occurrence of edema and blood thickening;

with normal plasma osmotic pressure, the volume of blood is sufficient to provide nutrition and respiration for both the mother and the child, and the fluidity of the blood provides the best blood supply; albumin proteins and sodium chloride, that is, table salt, are responsible for this most important quality.

It is easy to understand what protein metabolism in the body depends on:

1. from the intake of proteins with food

2. from their digestion and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract (mainly in the stomach and small intestine)

3. from the function of the liver (it is it that produces the main necessary proteins -construction, protective, necessary for folding)

4. on the intensity of decay and loss of proteins (this applies to increased physicalstress and some kidney diseases).

Here is how protein deficiency manifests itself during pregnancy:

1. The earliest signs are insufficient weight gain and an increase in hemoglobin (HGB) and hematocrit (Ht); note - a high hemoglobin level (above 120 g / l) in the second and third trimester is a reason not to be happy, but to be wary, as it usually indicates blood clotting as a result of a lack of protein and a decrease in circulating blood volume

2. intrauterine growth retardation of the child (according to measurements of the height of the fundus of the uterus and the circumference of the abdomen, as well as ultrasound), its malnutrition

3. the appearance of edema (due to a drop in the osmotic pressure of the plasma, the liquid part of the blood leaves the vessels into the tissues)

4. increase in blood pressure (this is a “reaction of despair” - due to a decrease in the volume of circulating blood, the body is forced to reduce the lumen of the vessels and increase the pressure in them so that the remaining blood circulates more intensively)

5. an increase in liver enzymes, indicating liver suffering due to protein starvation

6. preeclampsia and eclampsia (expressed in headache, increased reflexes, blurred vision and, finally, convulsions) - the most formidable complications of preeclampsia, requiring urgent hospitalization

For reference: normal total protein of blood serum: 65-85 g / l, its decrease to 60 g / l already indicates severe preeclampsia; serum albumin is normally 35-55 g / l, with its decrease to 30 g / l, edema develops; normal hematocrit 0.36 - 0.42 l / l; weight gain of 2.3-4.5 kg during the period from 24 to 28 weeks is normal and indicates an adequate increase in circulating blood volume.

The most common causes of protein deficiency are:

1. Dietary protein intake may not be enough

due to lack of appetite (including due to depression, unwanted pregnancy, poor living conditions and family relationships)

due to the fact that the food contains few proteins or they are of poor quality ("starvation in abundance")

due to the fact that they are not used to eating right and generally attaching any importance to the way of eating

due to the fact that there is no time to eat and no time to cook (a typical situation for working women and mothers of large families)

because of the low standard of living and the unwillingness to "overeat the family"

because of the unwillingness to get better and spoil the figure (a woman came to the author of these lines, who set herself the goal of not gaining weight during pregnancy AT ALL)

due to the fact that a woman knows from doctors, friends and from literature: a large increase in body weight is dangerous

2. Dietary protein intake may be relatively insufficient:

when a woman has few carbohydrates in her diet (then proteins are burned instead of fuel, and they are not enough for construction)

when a woman is pregnant with two or more children

when the expectant mother has a lot of physical activity or is in a situation of stress

3. The intake, digestion and absorption of proteins can be hindered by various painful conditions of the stomach and intestines, of which the most common are:

Lack of appetite

Nausea

Vomit

Heartburn

4. Liver Disease Can Prevent It From Making Essential Proteins

There were no cases of intrauterine fetal death. In women from the second subgroup, plasma osmotic pressure dropped by 9%, and only two out of five had a decrease in blood pressure.

R. Ross in 1935 found that the incidence of eclampsia is extremely high in areas where beriberi, pellagra and other malnutrition diseases are common. "We were shocked how many malnourished women had eclampsia."

In 1938, researchers E. Dodge and T. Frost radically prevented eclampsia by prescribing a high protein diet. The condition of women with late toxicosis, who were on a diet of 6 eggs, 1-1.5 liters of milk, meat and legumes daily, improved before our eyes. According to these authors, the mean plasma albumin level among women with late toxicosis was 21% lower than among women who were on a diet with a high protein content and did not have toxicosis.

Researcher V. Tompkins (1941) also managed to reduce the incidence of late toxicosis by correcting the diet. He concludes that "the so-called toxemia of pregnancy is actually a state of malnutrition."

During pregnancy, it is very important to watch your diet. Nutrition should be balanced and rich in vitamins. A particularly important component in the diet of a future mother is protein. This component affects the growth of the uterus, placenta, mammary glands and increases blood volume. It is also very important in the development and growth of the fetus. If the body does not receive protein during pregnancy in the right amount, then it will borrow it from its own tissues. Fats and carbohydrates are also not unimportant for the normal course of pregnancy, but they can be replaced, but proteins in food cannot be replaced by anything.

What does a lack of protein lead to?

Insufficient amount of protein consumed can lead to disruption of very important physiological processes. These include: a weakening of the activity of the endocrine glands, a decrease in basal metabolism, atrophy of organs. In this case, sensitivity to infectious diseases may increase. The lack of protein leads to severe toxicosis, anemia, preeclampsia, hypertension and vomiting. It is much better when protein is in excess than its deficiency.

The WHO Joint Expert Group has repeatedly discussed the problem of protein intake during pregnancy. It turns out that an additional 6g of protein per day can cover their increased need during pregnancy. One adult per day needs 1 g of a vital product per 1 kg of body weight. A woman in position should receive a minimum of 1.5 g / 1 kg. At the same time, for the normal development of the mammary glands and blood mass, the female body needs an additional 500 g of protein. For this, it is especially important to increase your protein intake between 14 and 16 weeks.

Varieties of proteins

It is worth knowing that not all proteins are the same. The body needs 20 amino acids, 11 of which it produces itself. The remaining 9 are called essential and must come from food and are very important to you and the baby you are carrying. It is very important that all 9 amino acids enter the body at the same time. Some of each of the 9 amino acids is found in animal foods, except for gelatin. Although gelatin is of animal origin, it lacks amino acids, so it will not be able to lay new cells in your tissues.

Plant proteins contain most of the essential amino acids, but, unfortunately, some of them may be missing. Such proteins are called incomplete. They have less biological value. Accordingly, they will not be able to restore tissue. But if you combine vegetable proteins with others that will contain the missing amino acids, then your and your baby's organisms will receive the required amount.

Carefully monitor the intake of protein in the body is necessary for vegetarians or women who prefer plant foods. The main thing is to correctly combine products in order to get the right amount of amino acids. Here are some examples of complete meals: cheese with noodles, beans with rice or sesame seeds, whole grain bread with peanut butter.

Protein Sources

Animal protein is found in such products: meat, fish, eggs, poultry. Cheese, milk, yogurt, and other dairy products are also high in protein.

Vegetable protein is present in foods such as legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. Vegetables include broccoli and green peas.

Consistent vegetarians are more than anyone else about combining foods to get a complete protein. But if you have recently started to lead a vegetarian lifestyle, then it is better to reconsider your diet during pregnancy. If you are very strict on vegetarian food, you should definitely consult with your doctor or nutritionist. In this case, it is possible to develop a special plan so that the body gets enough vitamins, minerals, calories and, of course, proteins. As mentioned above, protein during pregnancy is indispensable.

Protein digestibility

The digestibility of animal proteins is much higher than vegetable proteins. Plant proteins have a dense shell, which makes it difficult for them to penetrate cells. Proteins of animal origin are absorbed almost completely, by 93-96%. While vegetable proteins can be absorbed by 80% if they are cereals or vegetables, and by 70% if they are legumes. If it is a protein from higher mushrooms, then it will be absorbed by a maximum of 40%. For better absorption of protein, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the female body during pregnancy. For example, in people with high stomach acidity, digestibility will be better. While people with low acidity will experience unpleasant and sometimes painful sensations.