Dietary assessment of pregnant adolescents participating in a supplemental-food program

We analyzed the energy-, nutrient- and food-intake patterns of pregnant adolescents before and during participation in a supplemental-food program. The dietary data on the pregnant adolescents were compared to those on older pregnant women and non-pregnant adolescents. Weight gain per trimester, hemoglobin and hematocrit values were reported. In general, the mean energy and nutrient values calculated from the diets of diet-supplemented, low-income pregnant adolescents as compared to other groups from the same area were not significantly different; however, the values calculated as a percentage of the recommended daily allowances (RDA) were significantly higher for the other groups. Mean weight gain per trimester for all the pregnant groups was within the recommended ranges. Mean hemoglobin and hematocrit values were within normal limits and comparable to values reported in other studies. The energy and nutrient values for the diets of the supplemented group were less than the RDA for several nutrients. However, when compared to the findings of most earlier studies, the mean values were greater.