Nutrition during pregnancy: the effects of an educational intervention program in Greece

An intervention program was undertaken to assess dietary habits and the impact of nutrition education among pregnant women in the rural county of Florina, northern Greece. Analysis of dietary habits, nutrient intake, hemoglobin, and serum vitamin concentrations in an intervention and control group indicated that the population was adequately nourished although nutrient intake was below recommended levels for pregnant women. Nutrition counseling was associated with improvements in dietary intake and significantly greater maternal weight gain (p less than 0.05). Mean birth weight was slightly higher in the intervention group but so was the incidence of low birth weight (4.5% vs 3.9%). The prematurity rate was marginally lower in the intervention group (p less than 0.04), as was the number of perinatal deaths (9 vs 11). The results indicate that nutrition counseling during pregnancy can improve dietary intake and maternal weight gain but the mediating influence on low frequency pregnancy outcomes is indeterminate in a population that is not nutritionally at risk.