What Is Known About the Nutritional Intake of Women during Pregnancy Following Bariatric Surgery? A Scoping Review

Abstract

Optimising the diet and weight of women prior to and during pregnancy is of paramount importance to both maternal and offspring health. In women who become pregnant after bariatric surgery, evidence suggests a better overall obstetric outcome in comparison to women with severe obesity managed conservatively. Historically, most studies in this population group have monitored supplement adherence or serum concentrations of micronutrients, rather than dietary intake. The aim of this study was to synthesise current knowledge of the dietary intake of women during pregnancy following bariatric surgery. A systematic search of search engines was conducted using the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane database, Scopus, Trip, NHS Evidence, UK Clinical Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, Prospero, Epistemonikos and Open Grey. Titles and abstracts were screened independently by two reviewers against predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. After removal of duplicates, 1594 titles were identified, of which 1586 were initially excluded. Following full-text review, four articles were included. In total, across all four studies, data from only 202 bariatric surgery participants were included, the majority of whom had had one type of surgery. Just one study included a control group. Reporting of nutritional outcomes was heterogenous, with none of the studies including complete macro and micronutrient intake results in their articles. An insufficient intake of protein was noted as a concern in two studies and associated with poor fetal growth in one study. Overall, this review has identified a paucity of data about the dietary intake of women during pregnancy after bariatric surgery.

Early pregnancy after bariatric surgery: a single-institute preliminary experience

“…After sleeve gastrectomy, nutrition for patients begins with liquids and consists of very limited calories in the early postoperative period. This is the most catabolic period with significant weight loss [19]. Pregnancy closer to bariatric surgery may lead to more probable nutritional problems, which may occur with limited food and calorie intake.…”

Micronutrients in Pregnancy after Bariatric Surgery: A Narrative Review

“…Micronutrients are essential for foetal development ( Table 4 ). There is no unanimous agreement on preventive supplementation during pregnancy, which will depend on the characteristics of the pregnant woman and the risk of deficiency in her environment [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ].…”

“…There are few data on dietary intake in pregnant women with previous barbaric surgery. Available information suggests that it may be insufficient in essential nutrients [ 44 ]. In general, malabsorptive techniques are associated with a higher risk of complications in pregnancy after BS, especially maternal anaemia and low-birth-weight babies [ 45 ].…”

Review: Sex-Specific Aspects in the Bariatric Treatment of Severely Obese Women

“…In several studies and case reports, evidence could be found that after bariatric surgery women who become pregnant suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, e.g., vitamins A, D, C, B1, and B9 and selenium [74][75][76][77][78]. Furthermore, a study submitted that intake of proteins and omega 3 fatty acids could be difficult [77]. In terms of vitamin K, which is important in the prevention of intracranial bleeding in babies, there was no significant difference between women who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and those who did not.…”