1. The dietary intake of pregnant Asian women (that is originating from the Indian subcontinent) attending Sorrento Maternity Hospital in Birmingham was determined, using the weighed and recall techniques, at five-weekly intervals from 18 to 38 weeks of pregnancy.2. Mean energy intake of the group was 7.1 MJ (1700 kcal)/d. The intakes of most nutrients were substantially below those consumed by pregnant European women in Britain, a little below those of expectant Pakistani mothers in Islamabad, and about the same as those of expectant East London mothers. Intakes of vitamin D, total folate, vitamin B,, zinc and magnesium were particularly low.3. These observations suggest that a number of Asian women in Birmingham are likely to experience nutritional stress in pregnancy, and there is some anthropometric and biochemical evidence from Sorrento, published elsewhere (Bissenden ef al. 1981), to support this. . 1982a, b). The present paper describes the nutrient intake, determined by weighed and recall methods, of Asian women during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. The observed nutrient intake is compared with the recommendations made by various bodies and with other studies in pregnant European women and pregnant Asian women in Asia. A later paper describes the nutrient intake and the variety of foods eaten by the individual groups within this Asian community, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Hindu and Sikh expectant mothers, in more detail (Wharton et al. 1984).
METHODS
Women studiedThe women studied were taking part in a trial of selective dietary protein-energy supplementation (Viegas et al. 1982~). In the trial, women received a vitamin and iron supplement from 18 to 28 weeks of pregnancy and then at 28 weeks they were randomly allocated to one of three regimens to continue until 38 weeks: (a) vitamins supplement only, (b) vitamins plus an energy supplement, (c) vitamins plus a protein-energy supplement. Although dietary intakes of women on all three regimens were measured, results in the present paper are presented from women when they were receiving the vitamins supplement only. There are, therefore, more values for the second trimester (1 8-28 weeks) than for the * Present address: Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham. t For reprints.
