Midwives and nutrition education during pregnancy: a literature review

Abstract

Objectives: This review explored the extent to which the role of midwives in nutrition education during pregnancy has been reported in the literature and areas requiring further research were identified.

Review method: A review of the literature was undertaken. Articles included in the review were published in English, in scholarly journals, and provided information about the knowledge, education, and attitudes of midwives towards nutrition during pregnancy.

Results and discussion: Few studies were identified. The included studies were exploratory and descriptive. Studies had reported that midwives lacked a basic knowledge of nutrition requirements during pregnancy. This might be attributed to inadequate nutrition education provided in both undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery programmes. The nutrition education components of midwifery courses were not identified within the studies reviewed.

Conclusion: Limited international or Australian research is available that reports on the role of midwives in nutrition education during pregnancy and the nutrition content of midwifery curricula. This represents an important omission in midwives capacity to support the health of pregnant women and their babies. More research is required to explore the educational needs of midwives to enhance nutritional care for pregnant women.

Keywords: Education; Midwives; Nutrition; Pregnancy; Pregnant women; Review.