ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Excessive gestational weight gain is associated with detrimental outcomes to both the mother and baby. Currently, the best approach to prevent excessive gestational weight gain in overweight and obese women is undetermined. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a group-based outpatient dietary intervention in pregnancy to reduce excessive gestational weight gain. METHODS: In this retrospective study, overweight and obese pregnant women who attended a single 90-min group education session were compared to women who received standard care alone. Total gestational weight gain, maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared between the intervention and control groups. Data were analysed using Student t, Mann-Whitney and Chi-squared tests as appropriate. A 24-h dietary recall was analysed and compared to the Australian National Nutrition Survey. RESULTS: A significant reduction in gestational weight gain was observed with this intervention (P = 0.010), as well as in the rate of small for gestational age births (P = 0.043). Those who attended the intervention had saturated fat and sodium intake levels that exceeded recommendations. Intake of pregnancy-specific micronutrients including folate, calcium and iron were poor from diet alone. CONCLUSIONS: A low-intensity antenatal dietary intervention may be effective in reducing excessive gestational weight gain, although multi-disciplinary interventions yield the best success. Further research is required to identify the optimal modality and frequency to limit excessive gestational weight gain. Dietary interventions tailored to ethnicity should also be explored. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, controlled trial without randomization.
Subject(s)
Diet, Healthy , Gestational Weight Gain , Obesity, Maternal/diet therapy , Patient Education as Topic/methods , Adult , Asia/ethnology , Australia , Calcium, Dietary , Diet , Dietary Carbohydrates , Dietary Fats , Dietary Fats, Unsaturated , Dietary Fiber , Dietary Proteins , Emigrants and Immigrants , Energy Intake , Exercise , Female , Folic Acid , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Infant, Small for Gestational Age , Pregnancy , Prenatal Care , Retrospective Studies , Sodium, DietaryABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of feeding practices on growth in infants with Pierre Robin Sequence (PRS) during their inpatient stay in a neonatal intensive care unit in a large tertiary paediatric hospital setting. METHODS: A retrospective review of feeding practices in infants with PRS was conducted between January 2006 and September 2017. Baseline demographics, nutrition-related and general outcomes were collected. Feeding difficulties, length of stay (LOS) and malnutrition were the primary outcome measures. Feeding difficulties included absence or poor-quality suck, episodes of aspiration, use of proton pump inhibitors or multiple episodes of vomiting. Malnutrition was classified as a weight-for-age Z score ofâ¯<â¯-1. RESULTS: Analysis was conducted on 49 infants with PRS that met eligibility criteria. Feeding difficulties correlated with a longer LOS (24.1 vs 6.8 days (pâ¯=â¯0.001)) Z-scores differed significantly between birth and discharge (0.21(1.84) vs -1.27(2.14)) (p < 0.001*) with malnutrition being evident in 26 infants of which only 17 infants were seen by a dietitian. Presence of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) increased the likelihood of malnutrition (OR 1.40(CI-1.11-1.77)). CONCLUSION: Infants with PRS are highly likely to have feeding difficulties and malnutrition. Early intervention by a dietitian is recommended to reduce the impacts of feeding difficulties, meet elevated energy requirements and facilitate growth. Infants with a longer inpatient stay or presence of IUGR should have their growth and feeding routinely monitored.
