Dietary intake and pregnancy outcome of pregnant women in an outpatient clinic / Driekie van der Walt

• Main Author: Van der Walt, Driekie
• Published: North-West University 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10394/1060

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between the dietary intake during pregnancy and the pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: In the Thusa Mama study, 98 pregnant black women were included. Of these 98 women, two women had miscarriages and five women were lost during the follow-up visits. The total number of women of whom data could have been analysed were 91. They were a sub-sample of a total of 478 pregnant women who attended the midtown antenatal clinic in Potchefstroom during a period of one year. Demographic data, haemoglobin concentrations and food frequency questionnaires were used (during the visits of the women in the study at the antenatal clinic) to collect the data. During the pregnancy, weight and height were used as anthropometric measurements to monitor bodily changes. The mothers gave birth at the Potchefstroom hospital and this is where the babies' birth data were obtained. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The subjects were divided into three categories according to their pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI): BM149.8 (underweight) BMI 19.8,- 26 (normal weight) BMI > 26 (overweight). With reference to the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy, the Thusa Mama study showed that most of the women in all three categories tended to gain excessive weight. The study also showed that the lower the animal protein was, the lower the total protein intake were. The women with a pre-pregnancy BMI lower than 19.8 were significantly younger than the women with a BMI higher than 26. The women are grouped in three nutrient index groups accordingly to their mean micronutrient intake during pregnancy: A mean micronutrient intake of less than 66% of the RDA (Poor diet group), A mean micronutrient intake between 67% en 100% of the RDA (Adequate diet) A mean micronutrient intake more than 100% van die RDA (Good diet). The outcomes of the three groups showed that the average pregnant women had adequate intake of macronutrients, but the intake of the micronutrients such as iron and folic acid were in all three groups lower than 50% of the DRI. There were no adverse outcomes due to the fact that if a mother was at risk for poor pregnancy outcomes they received assistance from dieticians and the clinic staff. There was no significant difference between the babies' outcomes of the three diet groups, although there was a slightly lower birth head circumference in the poor diet group. Number of previous pregnancies had significantly negative correlations with animal protein intake, fat intake and vitamin A intake of pregnant women. There was also a significant negative correlation between the number of previous pregnancies and the haemoglobin concentrations. The baby birth weight had a significant positive correlation with the dietary iron intake of the mother. There were no adverse outcomes due to good standard clinic care. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, it is essential for pregnant women to have a good balanced diet (with a adequate micronutrient density), but if the pregnant woman is from a low socio-economic group, good clinical care is crucial, where these women can receive iron and folic acid supplementation and outstanding help with education on healthy eating during pregnancy. It is also important that the mothers should be educated on the weight gain regarding the IOM's recommendation, to prevent excessive weight gain and to minimize the adverse outcomes during pregnancy. === Thesis (M.Sc. (Dietetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.