Assessment of dietary intake and mineral status in pregnant women

Rafał Kocyłowski,Constantin Von Kaisenberg,Iwona Lewicka,Mariusz Grzesiak,Anna Sobańska,Zuzanna Gaj,Joanna Suliburska,Joanna Poznaniak

doi:10.1007/s00404-018-4744-2

Abstract

PurposeTo evaluate the dietary intake of pregnant women and their nutritional status of Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, and Cu, as the nutritional status of pregnant women is an important factor for the proper progression of a pregnancy and the development and health of the foetus.MethodsThe study was conducted on 108 pregnant women ages 18–42, at 6–32 weeks of gestation. We used a questionnaire and a 24-h recall nutrition interview. Hair samples were taken for testing and the level of each mineral was assessed using atomic absorption spectrometry. The results were analysed using the Dietetyk and Statistica 10 software.ResultsLow levels of Fe, Zn, Ca, Mg, vitamin D, and folic acid intake were seen in the pregnant women, with the use of dietary supplements significantly increasing their intake of Fe, Zn, and folic acid. The concentration of zinc and magnesium in the women’s hair was shown to be affected by their age and, in the case of magnesium, by the week of pregnancy.ConclusionsIt was observed that the diet of pregnant women is characterised by low levels of Fe, Zn, Ca, Mg, vitamin D, and folic acid. Dietary supplementation with vitamins and minerals significantly increases the daily Fe and folic acid intake in pregnant women. The concentration of Zn and Mg in hair depends on the age of pregnant women and Mg level in the hair of women decreases during pregnancy.

Highlights

The dietary habits of pregnant women are important for the proper progression of pregnancy and the development and health of the foetus [1,2,3,4,5,6]
Hair sections of 2 cm in length were used for the analysis, in which calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc levels were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry using an AAS-3 spectrophotometer (Carl Zeiss, Germany)
The women were in week 17.7 ± 5.3 of pregnancy on average

Summary

Introduction

The dietary habits of pregnant women are important for the proper progression of pregnancy and the development and health of the foetus [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Diets should be balanced in terms of macronutrients and micronutrients. The daily energy requirements for healthy women of normal weight and who have a moderately active lifestyle, increase during pregnancy and are based on the trimester of the foetus [7]. Recommendations regarding the calorific value of pregnant women’s diets aim to prevent the development of obesity [8]. The woman’s need for protein increases, peaking in the third trimester. The total fat intake, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy, should not increase significantly [8]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion