Low-income pregnant adolescents and their infants: dietary findings and health outcomes

Dietary and other health-related data were obtained for 99 low-income, pregnant adolescents aged 13 to 19 years and their infants who were enrolled in the Teen Pregnancy Service (TPS). The dietetic services provided through TPS are highlighted for this sample of teens, 97% of whom were eligible for the WIC program. Average gestational age at time of enrollment for prenatal care was 18 weeks; 59% of the sample was anemic (hemoglobin value less than 120 gm/L). The average number of servings teens consumed each day from the four food groups was as follows: bread/grain, 5.0; milk, 2.8; meat, 2.8; and fruit/vegetable, 2.3. Teens who were overweight before pregnancy had heavier infants (mean = 3,344 gm) than their underweight peers (mean = 2,770 gm). Teens who gained 24 lb or less during pregnancy and who gave birth to full-term infants had infants with significantly lower birth weights (mean = 3,094 gm, p less than .008) than those who gained at least 25 lb (mean = 3,356 gm). Teens who smoked also had infants with lower birth weights than teens who did not smoke. Most teens bottle-fed their infants (82%). On the basis of our data, we conclude that low-income pregnant teens are likely to be at dietary risk. Dietary work with low-income pregnant adolescents is challenging and requires a thorough knowledge base about adolescent pregnancy, coupled with the ability to adapt traditional dietary counseling practices to meet the unique needs of these clients.