Nutrition in pregnancy

Many pregnant women rely on their health professional for nutrition information during routine antenatal visits. This review offers information to assist health professionals with advising pregnant women of the important nutrition considerations during pregnancy. The roles of some of the key nutrients are discussed, including folate, iodine, iron, calcium, and vitamin D. Recommendations for each of the key nutrients are covered and examples of how these can be achieved are presented. The review also details additional nutritional considerations that should be discussed during antenatal consults, including energy balance and weight gain recommendations, the importance of food safety during pregnancy, the recommended safe levels of consumption of vitamin A, caffeine, and fish, and the importance of abstaining from alcohol. Educating and supporting women during pregnancy to make healthy food choices to fulfil their needs and the needs of their growing fetus, will help to promote a healthy start to life.     

Nutrition in pregnancy

Many pregnant women rely on their health professional for nutrition information during routine antenatal visits. This review offers information to assist health professionals with advising pregnant women of the important nutrition considerations during pregnancy. The roles of some of the key nutrients are discussed, including folic acid, iodine, iron, calcium, and vitamin D. Recommendations for each of the key nutrients are covered and examples of how these can be achieved are presented. The review also details additional nutritional considerations that should be discussed during antenatal consults, including energy balance and weight gain recommendations, the importance of food safety during pregnancy, the recommended safe levels of consumption of vitamin A, caffeine, and fish, and the importance of abstaining from alcohol. Educating and supporting women during pregnancy to make healthy food choices to fulfil their needs and the needs of their growing fetus, will help to promote a healthy start to life.     

Comparison of Perception of Pregnancy Risk of Nulliparous Women of Advanced Maternal Age and Younger Age

Introduction : Over the last 3 decades, the proportion of women who have delayed childbearing into their mid 30s and early 40s has been increasing. Because advanced maternal age (AMA) is associated with several adverse maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes, these pregnancies are considered to be “high risk.” Research indicates that pregnancy risk perception is an important factor in pregnant women's health care use and decision making during pregnancy. The objectives of this study were to compare risk perception in pregnant women of AMA (aged 35 years or older) with that of younger women and to explore the relationship between perception of pregnancy risk and selected variables. Methods : A sample of 159 nulliparous pregnant women (105 aged 20‐29 years and 54 aged 35 years or older) was recruited from a variety of settings in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Women were asked to complete questionnaires to assess perception of pregnancy risk, risk knowledge, pregnancy‐related anxiety, perceived control, health status, and medical risk. Results : Women of AMA had higher education levels, were more likely to work during pregnancy, and had higher medical risk scores than younger women. Women of AMA perceived higher pregnancy risk for both themselves and their fetuses than did younger women. They rated their risks of cesarean birth, dying during pregnancy, preterm birth, and having a newborn with a birth defect or one needing admission to a neonatal intensive care unit higher than those of younger women. There were no significant differences between the 2 age groups in pregnancy‐related anxiety, knowledge of risk, perceived control, and health status. Discussion : Women of AMA have a higher perception of pregnancy risk than younger women, regardless of their medical risk. This evidence suggests that incorporating discussions of pregnancy risk into prenatal care visits may assist pregnant women of AMA to make more informed choices, reduce anxiety, and avoid unnecessary interventions.     

Methamphetamine Use in Pregnancy: A Call for Action

Substance use during pregnancy continues to be an area of concern in Canada. Rates of substance use appear to be increasing among women of childbearing age, and use during pregnancy may effect maternal and fetal outcomes. Little is known of the prevalence of methamphetamine use during pregnancy and its impact, but maternity care providers are encountering patients who use methamphetamines in their practices. These health care providers are asking for evidence-based recommendations for management and treatment. There is an immediate and urgent need to address this gap in order to improve the health of pregnant women and their babies.     

Social and Clinical Risk Assessment Among Pregnant Haitian Women in South Florida

This article describes the cultural experiences of pregnant Haitian women living in South Florida and their implications for clinical risk assessment. Contemporary clinical risk evaluation during pregnancy includes an assessment of external and social sources of risk, such as domestic violence, homelessness, and socioeconomic status. The accumulating data about the birth outcomes among Haitian women living in the United States underscores their biomedical risk status. However, it is important for clinicians to also have a more nuanced understanding of the influence of contemporary Haitian culture on risk during pregnancy to accurately assess a woman's risk status. Using ethnographic methods, including participant observation and interviews with pregnant women as well as their providers, this project examines the gender, class, and sociopolitical experiences among pregnant Haitian women living in South Florida. Findings have important implications for clinical risk assessment within prenatal care.     

子痫前期的营养管理

子痫前期病因不明,孕期营养在降低子痫前期发病中的作用备受关注。早期防控有利于控制风险,改善母婴预后,产前施行营养干预和评估,保证其孕期各营养物质合理、足量的摄入,对预防子痫前期的发生具有重要临床意义,有待进一步的研究提供更多的证据。     

城市63家妇幼保健院孕期营养门诊建设状况和妊娠结局分析#br#

Objective?To estimate the construction status and pregnancy outcomes of nutrition clinics of maternal and child health care hospitals in urban areas. Methods?63 maternal and child health care hospitals in 48 large and medium-sized cities of 28 provinces in China were selected to investigate the allocation of housing facilities, staff, equipment and other configuration and other pregnancy outcome quota closely related to nutrition clinic, by using cross-sectional survey method and self-designed questionnaire. Results?The institutions equipped with full-time personnel, obstetric and nutrition professionals and outpatient service personnel≥4 were 61.90%, 46.03% and 49.21% respectively. The highest allocation rate of all basic tool organizations was 80.95%. The organizations equipped with basic tools and all tools were 49.21% and 41.27% respectively. The allocation rate of organizations meeting the requirements of personnel specialty, number and tool allocation in the eastern region was higher than that in the central and western regions (P<0.05). The rate of cesarean section, macrosomia and low birth weight were lower in institutions with full-time staff, two kinds of professional staff and more than 4 outpatients and basic tools respectively or simultaneously (P<0.05). Conclusions?The standardized construction of nutrition clinics during pregnancy can reduce the risk of macrosomia, low birth weight, and the rate of cesarean section. The incidence of uterine birth has a promoting effect. The survey institutions have the problem of insufficient infrastructure, personnel and basic equipment for pregnancy nutrition clinics. It is urgent to be standardized and improved.     

Maternal nutrition and perinatal outcomes

Diet and patterns of eating during pregnancy can affect perinatal outcomes through direct physiologic effects or by stressing the fetus in ways that permanently affect phenotype. Supplements are not a magic nutritional remedy, and evidence of profound benefit for most supplements remains inconclusive. However, research supports calcium supplements to decrease preeclampsia. Following a low glycemic, Mediterranean-type diet appears to improve ovulatory infertility, decrease preterm birth, and decrease the risk of gestational diabetes. Although women in the United States have adequate levels of most nutrients, subpopulations are low in vitamin D, folate, and iodine. Vitamin D has increasingly been shown to be important not only for bone health, but also for glucose regulation, immune function, and good uterine contractility in labor. To ensure adequate vitamin and micronutrient intake, especially of folate before conception, all reproductive age women should take a multivitamin daily. In pregnancy, health care providers need to assess women's diets, give them weight gain recommendations based on their body mass index measurement, and advise them to eat a Mediterranean diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids (ingested as low-mercury risk fatty fish or supplements), ingest adequate calcium, and achieve adequate vitamin D levels through sun exposure or supplements. Health care providers should continue to spend time on nutrition assessment and counseling.     

Referrals for dental care during pregnancy

Oral health is essential to overall health in the prenatal period. Pregnancy is not a time to delay dental care. Several studies have shown an association between periodontal disease and poor pregnancy outcomes including preterm birth. Interventions to provide periodontal treatment to pregnant women yield inconsistent results regarding preterm birth but have established the safety of periodontal therapy during pregnancy. Postpartum women in poor dental health readily transmit the tooth decay pathogen Streptococcus mutans from their saliva to their infants, resulting in increased risk of early childhood caries. Preventive services and treatment for acute problems should be recommended, fears allayed, and women referred. Dental radiographs may be performed safely with the use of appropriate shielding. Nonemergent interventions are best provided between 14 and 20 weeks' gestation for comfort and optimal fetal safety. Most gravid women do not seek dental care. Increased interprofessional communication to encourage dentists to treat pregnant women will reduce the number of women without care. In states where it is available, Medicaid coverage of dental services for pregnant women is typically allowed during pregnancy and for 2 months postpartum. Women's health providers should understand the importance of protecting oral health during pregnancy and educate their patients accordingly.     

NUTRITION IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

This article reviews nutrition-related issues affecting women and their reproductive health. Health care providers must be able to perform a basic nutritional assessment to identify risk factors and develop a plan of care to reduce those risk factors and improve health. Guidelines are provided to assist in performing a nutritional status assessment. Nutritional assessment of women of reproductive age should identify factors that may affect fertility, periconceptional health, and pregnancy outcome. Recommendations are provided to assist the health care provider in counseling women regarding the relationship of food choices and exercise to health, fitness, and optimal bodily function. Controversies surrounding the effect of micro-nutrient deficits and excesses on reproduction and correction for these imbalances are discussed. Women should be encouraged to initiate dietary and other lifestyle changes to allow for optimal reproductive outcomes.     

Micronutrients in women's reproductive health: I. Vitamins

Proper nutritional status of women before, during, and after pregnancy is an important element of reproductive health. It maintains maternal health and reduces the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome, birth defects and chronic disease in children later in postnatal life. Pregnancy creates a special metabolic demand for high-quality nutrients. With careful food selection, it is possible to obtain most of the recommended levels of nutrients. Apart from the dietary intake, nutrition is highly dependant on economic status, social and cultural environment, and personal habits of the mother. Nutritional imbalance could cause detrimental effects to the pregnant woman, influence pregnancy outcome, and impair breast milk composition. Despite the extensive research, we still do not have a complete understanding how nutritional status of the mother influences her health as well as fetal growth and development. It is well known that fetal growth and development is strongly linked with maternal supply of essential nutrients, e.g. vitamins. The exact role of the variety of micronutrients in fetal growth and development has yet to be explored in detail. It is estimated that up to 30% of pregnant women suffer from a vitamin deficiency. Without supplementation, about 75% would show a deficit of at least one vitamin. Moreover, multivitamin deficit combinations often co-exist, and subclinical depletations are probably common; consequences could be severe. Studies carried on in developing countries have shown that improving micronutrient intake in deficient women can reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. Also, proper maternal intake of important micronutrients directly enhances the quality of breast milk. To meet the increasing demands during pregnancy and the breastfeeding period women should not be dependent only upon the dietary intake: adequate reserve is essential for the successful pregnancy outcome.     

Supplementation during pregnancy: beliefs and science

Pregnancy represents a challenge from a nutritional perspective, because micronutrient intake during the periconceptional period and in pregnancy affects fetal organ development and the mother’s health. Inappropriate diet/nutrition in pregnancy can lead to numerous deficiencies including iron deficiency and may impair placental function and play a role in miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm delivery, and preeclampsia. This article reviews the risks associated with nutrient deficiencies in pregnant women and presents an overview of recommendations for dietary supplementation in pregnancy, focusing on oral iron supplementation. Risk factor detection, including dietary patterns and comorbidities, is paramount in optimal pregnancy management. Dietary habits, which can lead to deficiencies (e.g., iron, folate, vitamin D, and calcium) and result in negative health consequences for the mother and fetus/newborn, need to be investigated. Prenatal care should be personalized, accounting for ethnicity, culture, education, information level about pregnancy, and dietary and physical habits. Clinicians should make a plan for appropriate supplementation and prophylaxis/treatment of nutritional and other needs, and consider adequate intake of calcium, iodine, vitamin D, folate, and iron. Among the available oral iron supplements, prolonged-released ferrous sulfate (ferrous sulfate–polymeric complex) presents the lowest incidence of overall and gastrointestinal adverse events, with positive implications for compliance.     

A "conservative" approach to iron supplementation during pregnancy

A review of current knowledge about iron metabolism during pregnancy and the evidence from various studies on the effects of iron supplementation in pregnancy on maternal, fetal, and infant outcomes suggest that the implicit goal of current recommendations regarding iron supplementation may be to achieve the highest hemoglobin concentration possible. This goal is only weakly related to improved maternal and infant outcomes in the current pregnancy or to improved maternal iron stores long-term. Indeed, the claim that iron supplementation is universally innocuous is shown to be controversial. For women in developed countries who are generally clinically healthy and have access to adequate nutrition, the benefits of iron supplementation are unclear, and there may be risks. Thus, a better "conservative" approach may be that such women do not require routine iron supplementation during pregnancy. The midwifery philosophy of individualizing care based on a woman's history and health status is one that should be taken in approaching the issue of iron supplementation in pregnancy.     

ACOG Committee Opinion No. 343: psychosocial risk factors: perinatal screening and intervention

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advocates assessing for psychosocial risk factors and helping women man-age psychosocial stressors as part of comprehensive care for women. Psychosocial screening of all women seeking pregnancy evaluation or pre-natal care should be performed regardless of social status, educational level,or race and ethnicity. Because problems may arise during the pregnancy that were not present at the initial visit, it is best to perform psychosocial screen-ing at least once each trimester to increase the likelihood of identifying important issues and reducing poor birth outcomes. When screening is completed, every effort should be made to identify areas of concern, validate major issues with the patient, provide information, and, if indicated, make suggestions for possible changes. When necessary, the health care provider should refer the patient for further evaluation or intervention. Psychosocial risk factors also should be considered in discharge planning after delivery. Many of the psychosocial issues that increase the risk for poor pregnancy outcome also can affect the health and welfare of the newborn. Screening should include assessment of barriers to care, unstable housing, unintended pregnancy, communication barriers, nutrition, tobacco use, substance use,depression, safety, intimate partner violence, and stress.     

Barriers to Managing Diabetes During Pregnancy: The Perceptions of Health Care Practitioners

Abstract: Background: Uncontrolled pregestational diabetes in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for a major birth defect and additional adverse pregnancy outcomes. The study objective was to investigate the concerns of health care practitioners who care for women with a history of diabetes during pregnancy and their perceptions of attitudes and barriers to achieving good glycemic control. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with physicians, midlevel practitioners, and certified diabetes educators in Atlanta, Georgia. Practitioners were eligible if they actively practiced, primarily in outpatient facilities in Atlanta, and were neither students nor interns. Six focus groups, two of each practitioner type, were conducted. Results: Practitioners stated that few of their patients planned their pregnancies. Practitioners perceived that pregnant women were concerned primarily about their babies and might not be aware of complications with their personal health. Their perceptions of the greatest barriers to glycemic control for women involved lack of knowledge, lack of access, and attitude. Conclusions: Educating women with diabetes about the importance of using effective birth control until they have achieved good glycemic control can help reduce the risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Motivators and barriers for a woman with diabetes to achieve glycemic control before, during, and after pregnancy should be considered when developing approaches to improve outcomes. Helping practitioners know what and how to address the needs of childbearing women with or at risk for diabetes can be beneficial. Additional efforts to increase women’s knowledge about diabetes and pregnancy and to develop effective strategies to encourage women’s achievement and maintenance of glycemic control before, during, and after pregnancy are needed. (BIRTH 38:2 June 2011)     

Protocol for a drugs exposure pregnancy registry for implementation in resource-limited settings

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The absence of robust evidence of safety of medicines in pregnancy, particularly those for major diseases provided by public health programmes in developing countries, has resulted in cautious recommendations on their use. We describe a protocol for a Pregnancy Registry adapted to resource-limited settings aimed at providing evidence on the safety of medicines in pregnancy. METHODS: Sentinel health facilities are chosen where women come for prenatal care and are likely to come for delivery. Staff capacity is improved to provide better care during the pregnancy, to identify visible birth defects at delivery and refer infants with major anomalies for surgical or clinical evaluation and treatment. Consenting women are enrolled at their first antenatal visit and careful medical, obstetric and drug-exposure histories taken; medical record linkage is encouraged. Enrolled women are followed up prospectively and their histories are updated at each subsequent visit. The women are encouraged to deliver at the facility, where she and her baby can be assessed. DISCUSSION: In addition to data pooling into a common WHO database, the WHO Pregnancy Registry has three important features: First is the inclusion of pregnant women coming for antenatal care, enabling comparison of birth outcomes of women who have been exposed to a medicine with those who have not. Second is its applicability to resource-poor settings regardless of drug or disease. Third is improvement of reproductive health care during pregnancies and at delivery. Facility delivery enables better health outcomes, timely evaluation and management of the newborn, and the collection of reliable clinical data. The Registry improves maternal and neonatal care and also provides much needed information on the safety of medicines in pregnancy.     

Cancer in pregnancy: fetal and neonatal outcomes

Cancer during pregnancy represents a potential conflict between optimal maternal treatment and fetal development. Traditionally, clinicians operated under the assumption that cancer treatment during pregnancy is incompatible with normal fetal development. However, recent evidence suggests that many diagnostic and treatment modalities cause little or no harm to the developing fetus. As such, both maternal and neonatal interests should be considered when developing management strategies for pregnant cancer patients. In this review, we will discuss issues related to fetal and neonatal health associated with conventional diagnostic and treatment approaches in the care of pregnant women with cancer. In addition, we offer recommendations on strategies to maximize fetal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by cancer.     

心脏病史女性孕前保健和管理

心脏病女性在妊娠期易发生心血管并发症,是孕产妇非产科因素死亡的重要原因,应加强孕前保健和管理。结合患者病史和检查进行孕前风险评估,能够手术矫正者建议其孕前手术治疗,不宜妊娠者应建议其避孕,允许继续妊娠者孕期应联合多学科管理,提高妊娠分娩安全性。     

Influenza and tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy

Vaccinations in pregnancy are an important aspect of prenatal care and of improving not only maternal health but also neonatal outcomes. Only 2 vaccines are specifically recommended during pregnancy: influenza and tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap). Because influenza illness disproportionately affects pregnant women compared with other populations, annual prevention of influenza illness is recommended for all women who will be pregnant during influenza season (October to May). Influenza vaccination has been recently reported to also result in decreased febrile respiratory illnesses in the newborn, likely through passive antibody transfer. Pertussis infection rates are rising in the United States as vaccine-induced immunity wanes, with the mortality burden primarily seen in infants aged <6 months. Pertussis immunization with Tdap is now recommended for all pregnant women during the late second (>20 weeks) or third trimester with the intent to both protect the pregnant woman and provide passive antibody to the infant before vaccination at 2 months of age. Provider support for these recommendations regarding both annual influenza vaccination and postpartum Tdap vaccination during pregnancy is critical to ensuring vaccine delivery and improving both maternal and fetal health. The article reviews the epidemiology and clinical aspects of influenza and pertussis infection with particular attention to pregnancy and recommendations for vaccination in these women. TARGET AUDIENCE: Obstetricians and gynecologists, ophthalmologists, neurologists, family physicians, emergency room physicians LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After completing this CME activity, obstetricians and gynecologists should be better able to analyze how influenza infection disproportionally affects pregnant women. Assess how influenza vaccination improves maternal and likely neonatal outcomes. Evaluate pertussis infection and immunity in adults, and counsel pregnant women as to the benefits of Tdap vaccination, particularly for the infant.