多补充铁及维生素D,孩子更健康,更聪明.docVIP

多补充铁及维生素D,孩子更健康,更聪明 VOA慢速英语:多补充铁和维生素D，孩子更健康、更聪明(2) This is the VOA Special English Health Report. 这里是VOA慢速英语健康报道。 Many people have low iron in their blood. But pregnant women need extra iron for their own health and their babys health. Iron is important to the development of a babys brain and central nervous system. 许多人血液中的铁含量都很低。但是孕妇需要额外的铁来维持其自身的以及宝宝的健康。铁对于宝宝的大脑和中枢神经系统的发育来说很重要的。 In poor countries, however, providing all pregnant women with iron supplements can be a financial issue. Some experts say giving supplements to babies after they are born is enough. 然而，在贫穷国家，为所有的孕妇提供含铁营养品可能存在资金困难。一些专家们称在宝宝出生后补充铁也足够了。 Someone who disagrees is Parul Christian, a nutritionist at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Maryland. She and other scientists have been doing research in Nepal. She says their latest findings should settle any question about the value of making sure every pregnant woman receives iron supplements. 但是Parul Christian反对这种说法，Parul Christian是马里兰州约翰斯霍普金斯大学公共卫生营养学家。她和其他一些科学家一直在尼泊尔做研究。她说，她们最新的发现也许能解决任何和确保所有孕妇补铁有意义的相关的问题。 Iron is a micronutrient. Micronutrients are important substances that are found in small amounts in foods. 铁是微量元素。微量元素是指在食品中发现的含量极少的重要物质。 The researchers first completed a study among poor women in Nepal ten years ago. During pregnancy some of the women received supplements containing iron and another micronutrient, folic acid. 十年前，研究人员首先完成对尼泊尔贫穷孕妇的一项研究。在怀孕期间，有些孕妇补充了铁元素和另一种微量营养元素，叶酸。 Professor Christian says that study showed the supplements could improve child survival. Christian教授称研究表明补充营养元素能够提高胎儿的存活率。 Now the children are older. The researchers returned to Nepal and tested their neurological development. They found improved intellectual and fine motor abilities among those whose mothers had received iron and folic acid during pregnancy and for three months after. 现在孩子们都长大了。研究人员又来到尼泊尔测试他们的神经系统发育状况。检查发现这些在怀孕期间补充铁和叶酸以及在出生后三个月也补充微量元素的妈妈生下的孩子智力得到提高，运动能力也得到很好的发展。 The findings appear in the Journal of the American Medical Assoc