Awoman's dietary habits, especially in the period before a planned pregnancy as well as during pregnancy, is of crucial importance for the proper development of the foetus and the development of individual systems and organs. From a clinical point of view, there is a growing interest among specialists in defining diet as creating the best environment for human development in the womb. Furthermore, there is also growing interest in the role of individual dietary components and their impact on the developing pregnancy.
Table of contents:
- Daily diet
- Alcohol
- Maternal nutrition and child development
- Research
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Energy balance
- Fats
- Energy from carbohydrates
- Proteins
The diet of pregnant women has a significant impact on the development of the foetus, as well as having a significant influence on shaping the health picture of future generations. According to studies and observations, the mother's diet during pregnancy is also very important in terms of the risk of developing many conditions in the child's future life, including metabolic diseases. It is the mother 's diet that inplicates possible modifications in gene expression, which carries with it an increased susceptibility to many types of diseases. Based on the latest scientific reports, observations and practice, current nutritional models are being updated, as well as science increasingly focusing on the individual nutrients consumed by the mother and their effects on the foetus during pregnancy.
Daily diet
Today's civilisation is largely based on a diet that is rich in highly processed foods, rich in many chemical components, high on both the glycaemic and energy index, and abundant in salt. As it turns out, the pre-conceptual period, that is, the period during which a woman prepares to become pregnant, is crucial for the child's development. The diet of a woman who is pregnant is an element of the environmental factors that are responsible for the normal course and development of the pregnancy, as well as the health of the individual in later life. Today, there is a growing scientific interest in the role of individual nutrients in the context of pregnancy and foetal development.
Alcohol
Alcohol is one of the most harmful and teratogenic substances present in the diet of pregnant women, as indicated by many studies and publications, and its consumption during pregnancy may even be associated with foetal stunting and premature birth.
In Poland, there are as many as 10 000 cases a year of low birth weight babies being born as a direct result of alcohol consumption by the mother during pregnancy. According to the recommendations on consumption of alcoholic beverages during pregnancy, there are positions that allow its consumption up to minimum amounts, but on the other hand, complete abstinence is recommended during this period.
The results of the study confirm that alcohol consumption during pregnancy is associated with intrauterine growth retardation of the foetus, resulting in lower Apgar scores. Furthermore, in as many as 56 % of the women surveyed, alcohol was part of their diet (more than half consumed alcohol during pregnancy).
To date, no dose of alcohol has been determined to be harmful to the foetus or to affect the course of the pregnancy, hence the recommendation is to completely abstain from alcoholic beverages during pregnancy. [1]
Maternal nutrition and child development
Adequate nutritional intake by the mother's diet determines the foetus's normal development, growth rate, the maturation of the various systems and internal organs, and is also important for the development of taste sensations, which translate into taste preferences in later life. This growth environment created by the mother also implies the risk of metabolic disorders in later life. From a scientific point of view, the thesis that some diseases occurring in adults have their origin in an improperly managed maternal diet during the prenatal period is increasingly being considered.
Mother-to-be's diet, photo: panthermedia
Research
In the maternity wards of hospitals in the Silesian voivodship, a study was carried out on the dietary habits of pregnant women. A group of 178 pregnant women, aged between 19 and 38 years, who were in the period from the 1st to the 4th day after delivery, were examined. The research tool was a standardised questionnaire from the National Institute of Health - the Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ II) and an original interview developed for the study by the authors. A total of 103 correctly completed sheets were finally analysed.
Omega-3 fatty acids
The intake of an adequate amount of omega-3 fatty acids is one of the guarantees of a normal newborn body weight. Ongoing research has confirmed this recommendation of the Institute of Food and Nutrition, but has also shown many irregularities in the context of the quantity and quality of omega-3 acids consumed by pregnant women.
Energy balance
Pregnancy itself presupposes a positive energy balance and the associated excess weight - this is part of the physiology of pregnancy and, like many others, should run its course. The results of the study indicate that the energy balance of the meals consumed by pregnant women was approximately 2609.87±1199.86 kcal/day, which is well beyond the recommended norms for daily caloric intake. Many reports from the scientific world state that there is a significant discrepancy between the caloric intake of meals consumed by pregnant women ranging from 1310 kcal to 2573 kcal, which was confirmed in studies carried out that showed an even greater caloric discrepancy (from 1000 kcal to 6394 kcal).
Fats
The study also isolated the amount of dietary fat and cholesterol consumed, which simultaneously translates into an increased risk of developing chronic diseases. As the results of the study showed, the percentage of fat and cholesterol in the diet of pregnant women was 31.95%±6.32%, which is slightly above the norm. However, this does not change the fact that in Poland, excessive consumption of fat and cholesterol is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies.
Energy from carbohydrates
The percentage of carbohydrates in the diet of the women studied was 55.73±8.45%, which falls within the recommendations of the Food and Nutrition Institute. The situation is different if we refer to the gram share of carbohydrates, which the study defined as 244% of the recommended daily intake. This is closely related to the high intake of sugars, including sucrose.
Proteins
The amount of energy derived from proteins was also in line with standards and within the recommendations - it ranked at 14.35±3.07% in the study results.
