Food Intake in Pregnancy, Lactation, and Reproductive Rest in the Human Mother

Shukers, Carroll F.; Macy, Icie G.; Donelson, Eva; Nims, Betty; Hunscher, Helen A.

doi:10.1093/jn/4.3.399

Cited by 21 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The coincidence of the reduced food intake with uterine involution is, perhaps, significant; it is conceivable that the anorexia is induced by circulating products of involution influencing a central satiety mechanism [see Kennedy, 1953]. A reduction in the quantity of food eaten has been reported in the rat [Slonaker, 1924;Wang, 1924] and in women (Shukers, Macy, Donelson, Nims and Hunscher, 1931): in both these species the reduction commences just before parturition. The uterus involutes rapidly during the first two days post-partum and the process is complete in approximately four days, both after pseudo-parturition and parturition.…”

Section: Dewarmentioning

confidence: 99%

Total Metabolism of the Mouse After Pseudoparturition and Parturition

Dewar

1953

Exp Physiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1. Measurements over consecutive 24 hrs. of water and food‐stuff balances and of metabolic rate have been made on 10 mice for several days before and after parturition or pseudo‐parturition (delivery of the placentæ after earlier destruction of the fœtuses) and the similarity between these processes demonstrated. 2. A loss of water was mainly responsible for the loss of weight during the 2 to 4 days after pseudo‐ or normal parturition. The water losses (a) were accompanied by a reduction in water consumption but were not made good by subsequent restoration of normal fluid intakes, (b) bore no relation to protein losses; the ratio of water to protein lost greatly exceeded the values usual in tissue involution, and (c) correlated with irreducible losses of sodium. These observations are consistent with the view that the elimination of the placentæ terminates a water‐retaining mechanism. 3. A reduction in food intake to below maintenance levels usually accompanied the weight loss, resulting in negative fat and protein balances which, unlike the water losses, were reversible by subsequent increases in food consumption. 4. No changes in carbohydrate or fat metabolism after pseudo‐ or normal parturition were apparent; these food‐stuffs were utilised according to their availability, as determined by the quantity of food consumed in relation to the maintenance requirement. 5. A decline in average energy expenditure of about 12 per cent occurred in the 3 to 4 days after pseudo‐parturition, and the metabolic rate related to body weight was significantly higher just before pseudoparturition than in non‐pregnant mice of the same age. Similar changes were observed after normal parturition but the effects were somewhat masked by the initial presence of the fœtuses: observations on newborn mice suggest that the metabolic rate related to weight of fœtuses just before birth is at least 30 per cent lower than that of the maternal body. The results favour the hypothesis that the maternal metabolic rate is raised in pregnancy.

show abstract

Section: Dewarmentioning

confidence: 99%