A systematic review of dietary assessments of pregnant adolescents in industrialised countries

Abstract

Adolescent pregnancy is a major public health challenge for many industrialised countries and is associated with significant medical, nutritional, social and economic risk for mothers and their infants. Despite this, relatively little is known about the nutrient intakes of adolescents during pregnancy. The aim of this study is to review the current evidence relating to the dietary assessment of pregnant adolescents living in industrialised countries. Nine papers were identified that fulfilled the inclusion criteria, seven of which were conducted in the USA. Mean nutrient intakes were compared with the most recent US dietary reference intakes (DRI) for pregnant adolescents. Despite the poor quality of the majority of studies, there appeared to be some consensus to suggest that the nutrient intakes of pregnant adolescents were below the DRI for energy, iron, folate, calcium, vitamin E and magnesium, nutrients which are recognised to be vital for fetal growth and development during pregnancy. Modest differences were observed in nutrient intake between trimesters and age groups. Current research is limited by sampling and measurement bias, and research is urgently required to address these limitations. Further consideration should also be made of the influence of age and of role of socio-economic support on pregnant adolescents' nutrient intake. The achievement of improved nutrition in pregnancy among adolescents requires multidisciplinary collaborations of adolescent health care providers, academics, professional organisations, policy makers, industry and service users. Only once this is achieved can adolescent nutrition, and adolescent nutrition in pregnancy, be significantly and sustainably optimised.

Dietary habits and supplementation practices of young women during pregnancy: an online cross-sectional survey of young mothers and health care professionals

“…The poor dietary habit identified in this study is in line with other investigators' findings showing a poor nutritional intake in young mothers [1,8]. The low intake of foods such as soft cheese and eggs may suggest inadequate communication with young women and a state of confusion regarding prohibiting raw/runny eggs or unpasteurised mould ripened soft cheeses rather than avoiding all types of eggs or pasteurised soft cheeses.…”

“…This is of a particular importance for young adolescent mothers in whom poor nutrition [1] and adverse outcomes such as stillbirth, preterm birth and low birthweight have been frequently reported [2][3][4]. Adolescent pregnancy (birth among women aged 15-19 when the pregnancy ended) has been considered a major contributor to maternal and child mortality worldwide [5] and is a major public health concern in United Kingdom (UK) with a rate of 19.7 births per 1000 women [6].…”

“…Systematic evidence [1] in addition to the recent UK 'National Diet and Nutrition Survey' (NDNS) [8] highlight that many adolescents' diets do not provide the recommended intakes for iron, zinc, calcium and folate and that those with the lowest incomes had significantly lower mean intakes than those from the highest income groups. Spending money on healthy food is often a lower priority compared to other fixed financial pressures such as housing, transport and utility bills [9].…”

Social capital, tolerance of diversity and adherence to Mediterranean diet: the Rhea Mother–Child Cohort in Crete, Greece

“…However, many adult and adolescent pregnant women fail to meet key nutritional targets, even in industrialized countries (4,5) , highlighting the need to understand key determinants of the quality of maternal diet during gestation. The study of specific dietary components may have the drawback of not taking into account the interactions between nutrients and food synergies (6) .…”

Evaluation of maternal and fetal outcomes of adolescent pregnancy in Hakkari province

“…The more frequent occurrence of fetal anomalies in the adolescent group was thought to be linked to malnutrition, unbalanced diet, and folate deficiency. Adolescents need more nutritional support because of the concomitant body and fetus growth [20,21]. Therefore, nutritional deficiencies are seen more common in adolescents compared to non-adolescents.…”