Dietary Choices of New Zealand Women during Pregnancy and Lactation

Kimberley Brown,Pamela Von Hurst,Jeanette Rapson,Cathryn Conlon

doi:10.3390/nu12092692

Abstract

Dietary recommendations during pregnancy and lactation have become increasingly complex, and sources of information more numerous but not always reliable, potentially causing confusion and unsafe choices. Women were recruited during pregnancy or within six months postpartum and completed questionnaires on dietary choices, food safety, and sources of nutrition information. Women (n = 458) from around New Zealand participated in the study. They consumed a wide range of foods and beverages and reported various dietary changes. In pregnancy, women commonly avoided alcohol (92%), raw milk products (86%), and raw, smoked, or pre-cooked seafood and fish (84%), and made changes due to food safety concerns. Influential advice was acquired from a range of sources including midwives (37%) and the New Zealand pregnancy and breastfeeding guidelines (25%) during pregnancy. Food avoidance was less common in lactation. However, fewer women consumed milk products during lactation (64%) than pregnancy (93%). Potentially unreliable sources were used more frequently in lactation including alternative health practitioners (26%) and family or friends (12%), and dietary changes were often made in response to infant symptoms without supporting evidence. This study highlighted a need for good communication of evidence-based recommendations to women, especially during lactation.

Highlights

Health and nutrition concerns of women often become more prominent during pregnancy and lactation [1]
There is a considerable amount of literature available surrounding the nutritional requirements of women during pregnancy and lactation and it is widely accepted that favourable dietary choices are important to achieve optimal outcomes for both women and their offspring [6,7,8]
Women who completed the pregnancy Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) were included in the final analysis (n = 458)

Summary

Introduction

Health and nutrition concerns of women often become more prominent during pregnancy and lactation [1]. Food-based recommendations change to meet altered nutrient requirements, those for iron, calcium, vitamin B12, iodine, and folate, during pregnancy and lactation [5]. There is a considerable amount of literature available surrounding the nutritional requirements of women during pregnancy and lactation and it is widely accepted that favourable dietary choices are important to achieve optimal outcomes for both women and their offspring [6,7,8]. Despite the importance of women’s dietary choices to meet their altered nutritional requirements, there is a lack of evidence to suggest what choices women make. This is true during lactation in NZ.

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Methods

Discussion

Conclusion