Dietary Intake and Eating Behavior During Pregnancy by Pre-Pregnancy Nutritional Status.

Area of Science:

• Maternal Nutrition
• Public Health Nutrition
• Dietary Interventions in Pregnancy

Background:

• Excess body weight before pregnancy is linked to poor diet and metabolic issues.
• This study compared dietary intake and metabolic parameters in pregnant women with overweight/obesity versus normal weight.
• The impact of nutritional education was explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare dietary intake and metabolic parameters in pregnant women based on pre-pregnancy weight status.
• To evaluate the effects of a nutritional education intervention on dietary habits and metabolic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• 62 pregnant women (10-36 weeks gestation) were studied: 44 overweight/obese, 18 normal weight.
• Dietary intake assessed via 24-hour recalls before and after nutritional education.
• Nutrient intake compared against reference values; biochemical parameters analyzed.

Main Results:

• Pre-intervention diets showed high fat, saturated fatty acids (SFAs), sodium, phosphorus; low fiber, vitamin D, folates, iron, iodine.
• Post-intervention, modest reductions in SFAs and sucrose, and a slight increase in protein energy were observed.
• Biochemical parameter improvements were limited.

Conclusions:

• Short-term nutritional education yielded modest dietary changes but limited metabolic improvements in pregnant women.
• Results do not strongly support current dietary guideline modifications but highlight the need for larger, longer studies.
• Further research is essential to determine the effectiveness of nutritional interventions for diverse pre-pregnancy nutritional statuses.