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

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. Diet is an important part of a healthy pregnancy, however all women do not have access to or can afford foods that promote good health. In this study, the diets of women who gave birth preterm were not consistent with the 2015-2020 or 2020-2025 recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans during the last month of their pregnancy. Nurses are uniquely positioned to provide pregnant women with nutritional screening and counseling as part of routine prenatal care to enhance pregnancy and birth outcomes.