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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2022 May 5;14(9):1944.
doi: 10.3390/nu14091944.

Longitudinal Nutritional Intakes in Italian Pregnant Women in Comparison with National Nutritional Guidelines

Fabrizia Lisso  1 , Maddalena Massari  2 , Micaela Gentilucci  3 , Chiara Novielli  1 , Silvia Corti  2 , Leonardo Nelva Stellio  2 , Roberta Milazzo  2 , Ersilia Troiano  4 , Ella Schaefer  5 , Irene Cetin  1   2 , Chiara Mandò  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Longitudinal Nutritional Intakes in Italian Pregnant Women in Comparison with National Nutritional Guidelines

Fabrizia Lisso et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: Nutritional quality during pregnancy is crucial for mother and child health and their short/long-term outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the adherence to nutritional recommendations in Italy during the three pregnancy trimesters in Normal Weight (NW) and Over Weight (OW) women.

Methods: Data from a multicenter randomized controlled trial included 176 women (NW = 133; OW = 43) with healthy singleton pregnancies enrolled within 13 + 6 weeks of gestation. Dietary intake was assessed every trimester by a Food Frequency Questionnaire.

Results: OW and NW had similar gestational weight gain. However, as Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommend lower gestational weight gain (GWG) for OW, they exceeded the suggested range. In both groups, caloric intake during the three trimesters never met recommendations. Protein intake in first and second trimester was higher than recommendations, as was sugars percentage. Dietary fiber intake was lower in OW. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, calcium, iron and folic acid requirements were never satisfied, while sodium intake exceeded recommendations.

Conclusions: NW and OW women in Italy do not adhere to nutritional recommendations during pregnancy, with lower caloric intake, protein and sugars excess and inadequacies in micronutrients intake. Pregnant women in Italy should be provided with an adequate counseling and educational intervention as well as supplementation when indicated.

Keywords: diet; food frequency questionnaire; guidelines; macronutrients; micronutrients; nutrition; pregnancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

E.S. is employed by Bayer Consumer Care AG. All the other authors (F.L., M.M., M.G., C.N., S.C., L.N.S., R.M., E.T., I.C., C.M.) declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study design. Visit 1 (V1, screening): pregnant women were screened for study eligibility. Visits 2, 3 and 4 (V2, baseline): nutritional status was assessed using a semi-quantitative FFQ. Visit 5 (V5, delivery): obstetric evaluations were performed in all women and infant anthropometric parameters were measured. Concomitant medications and adverse events were assessed at all Visits (V1–V6). GA, gestational age; FFQ, food frequency questionnaire.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison between study population energy and proteins intake through trimesters and LARN suggestions. (a) PIP comparison between NW, OW and LARN PIP; (b) EIP comparison between NW, OW and LARN EIP, considering all LARN references for PAL. LARN: Nutrients and Energy Reference Intake for Italian Population; EIP: Energy Intake in Pregnancy; PAL: Physical Activity Level; PIP: Proteins Intake in Pregnancy; NW: Normal Weight; OW: Over Weight.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Caloric and nutritional data expressed as percentages towards LARN intake recommendations. The red line represents 100% of recommendation. Data are shown as the intakes of both subpopulations (NW and OW) for each nutrient in the three trimesters: (a) Percentage of energy and nutrients intakes compared to LARN recommendations for I trimester of pregnancy; (b) Percentage of energy and nutrients intakes compared to LARN recommendations for II trimester of pregnancy; (c) Percentage of energy and nutrients intakes compared to LARN recommendations for III trimester of pregnancy.
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