A survey of dietary intake in a group of poor, pregnant and lactating women.

Abstract

A survey of dietary intake was conducted among 100 pregnant and 70 lactating women in India. All the women belonged to poor socioeconomic groups among which protein malnutrition and other nutritional deficiencies have been identified frequently in children. The womens diet was generally found to be inadequate as to intake of proteins calcium and calories. Only 12 of the pregnant women and 9 of the lactating women had a calorie intake between 2000-2500 while the calorie intake of most of them ranged from 1000-2000. Daily protein intake exceeded 60 g in only 12 pregnant and 5 lactating women. Calcium intake was extremely low in both groups. There was no direct correlation between protein intake in the mothers and birth weights of the babies. However 20% of the infants born to these mothers weighed less than 5.5 lbs. and 14.5% weighed less than 5 lbs. Intake of nutrients was directly correlated with the per capita income of the family. Contrary to expectations the dietary intake of the women during pregnancy was generally even less satisfactory than in their prepregnant state. This is attributable somewhat to ignorance but mostly to economic factors i.e. the womens pregnancies caused loss of employment and a consequent loss of family income.