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Lactating women consume less than the recommendations for many nutrients (810.1)
Author(s) -
Pratt Nathan,
Sherry Christina
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.810.1
Subject(s) - nutrient , environmental health , medicine , population , lactation , dietary reference intake , food group , pregnancy , biology , ecology , genetics
There is little research focusing on the dietary patterns of lactating women despite their unique nutrient needs. The objective of this study was to determine how dietary patterns of lactating mothers 1‐3 months postpartum compare to recommendations. Dietary intakes of subjects (N=88) were measured using weekly 3‐day food records throughout a 6 week study. Food record data was entered into The Food Processor® (ESHA Research) and each subject’s nutrient intake was compared to individualized recommendations based on subject characteristics. Dietary analysis demonstrated that subjects consumed 50% or less of fruit, vegetable, and dairy intake as recommended by MyPlate. As a result, mean intakes of 15 vitamins and minerals critical for protecting the health of the mother and/or infant development were below the Estimated Average Requirements (EARs) for this life cycle. For some nutrients, such as iodine and vitamins A, D, and E, less than 20% of subjects consumed recommended intakes. Carotenoids and highly unsaturated fatty acids were consumed at low levels by subjects, as well. Overall, we conclude that diet alone may be insufficient to meet the high nutrient demands of lactation in our study population. These results underline the need for further research on the dietary patterns of lactating mothers as well as special consideration of this population for diet education initiatives and interventions. Grant Funding Source : Supported by Abbott Nutrition