Women Who Give Birth Preterm Do Not Meet Dietary Guidelines During Pregnancy

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate maternal dietary intake during pregnancy compared with the 2015-2020 and 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Study Design and Methods: A retrospective observational study design was used. The cohort included women who gave birth to preterm infants between 25 1/7 weeks and 33 6/7 weeks of gestation. Within 2 weeks of birth, participants were asked to recall their diet in the last month of pregnancy using the Dietary Screener Questionnaire. Participants' dietary intakes were compared to current 2020-2025 DGA that include specific recommendations for pregnant women and prior 2015-2020 DGA that were in place during the study period but were not pregnancy-specific. Results: Forty-five women participated in the study. None met the 2015-2020 or 2020-2025 DGA recommended intake of all seven dietary components. When compared to both DGAs, 2.2% of participants met the recommended dairy intake, 26.7% met the calcium intake, 15.6% were below the threshold for added sugar, and none met the vegetable or whole grain intake. When compared to the 2015-2020 DGA, 28.9% met the fruit intake and 2.2% met the fiber intake. However, when compared to the 2020-2025 DGA, only 2.2% met the fruit intake and none met the fiber intake. Clinical Implication: Women who gave birth preterm did not adhere to the 2015-2020 or 2020-2025 DGA recommendations in the last month of pregnancy. Nurses are uniquely positioned to provide pregnant women with nutritional screening and counseling as part of routine prenatal care.