Dietary Choices of New Zealand Women during Pregnancy and Lactation
Dietary recommendations during pregnancy and lactation have become increasingly complex, and sources of information more numerous but not always reliable, potentially causing confusion and unsafe choices. Women were recruited during pregnancy or within six months postpartum and completed questionnai...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-09-01
|
| Series: | Nutrients |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/9/2692 |
| _version_ | 1797554730840358912 |
|---|---|
| author | Kimberley Brown Pamela von Hurst Jeanette Rapson Cathryn Conlon |
| author_facet | Kimberley Brown Pamela von Hurst Jeanette Rapson Cathryn Conlon |
| author_sort | Kimberley Brown |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dietary recommendations during pregnancy and lactation have become increasingly complex, and sources of information more numerous but not always reliable, potentially causing confusion and unsafe choices. Women were recruited during pregnancy or within six months postpartum and completed questionnaires on dietary choices, food safety, and sources of nutrition information. Women (<i>n</i> = 458) from around New Zealand participated in the study. They consumed a wide range of foods and beverages and reported various dietary changes. In pregnancy, women commonly avoided alcohol (92%), raw milk products (86%), and raw, smoked, or pre-cooked seafood and fish (84%), and made changes due to food safety concerns. Influential advice was acquired from a range of sources including midwives (37%) and the New Zealand pregnancy and breastfeeding guidelines (25%) during pregnancy. Food avoidance was less common in lactation. However, fewer women consumed milk products during lactation (64%) than pregnancy (93%). Potentially unreliable sources were used more frequently in lactation including alternative health practitioners (26%) and family or friends (12%), and dietary changes were often made in response to infant symptoms without supporting evidence. This study highlighted a need for good communication of evidence-based recommendations to women, especially during lactation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:36:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c20f4833cbe04a9598acfe41e9ebe9a9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:36:13Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-c20f4833cbe04a9598acfe41e9ebe9a92023-11-20T12:27:17ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432020-09-01129269210.3390/nu12092692Dietary Choices of New Zealand Women during Pregnancy and LactationKimberley Brown0Pamela von Hurst1Jeanette Rapson2Cathryn Conlon3School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New ZealandSchool of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New ZealandSchool of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New ZealandSchool of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New ZealandDietary recommendations during pregnancy and lactation have become increasingly complex, and sources of information more numerous but not always reliable, potentially causing confusion and unsafe choices. Women were recruited during pregnancy or within six months postpartum and completed questionnaires on dietary choices, food safety, and sources of nutrition information. Women (<i>n</i> = 458) from around New Zealand participated in the study. They consumed a wide range of foods and beverages and reported various dietary changes. In pregnancy, women commonly avoided alcohol (92%), raw milk products (86%), and raw, smoked, or pre-cooked seafood and fish (84%), and made changes due to food safety concerns. Influential advice was acquired from a range of sources including midwives (37%) and the New Zealand pregnancy and breastfeeding guidelines (25%) during pregnancy. Food avoidance was less common in lactation. However, fewer women consumed milk products during lactation (64%) than pregnancy (93%). Potentially unreliable sources were used more frequently in lactation including alternative health practitioners (26%) and family or friends (12%), and dietary changes were often made in response to infant symptoms without supporting evidence. This study highlighted a need for good communication of evidence-based recommendations to women, especially during lactation.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/9/2692New Zealandpregnancylactationdietary choicesfood safetyinformation sources |
| spellingShingle | Kimberley Brown Pamela von Hurst Jeanette Rapson Cathryn Conlon Dietary Choices of New Zealand Women during Pregnancy and Lactation Nutrients New Zealand pregnancy lactation dietary choices food safety information sources |
| title | Dietary Choices of New Zealand Women during Pregnancy and Lactation |
| title_full | Dietary Choices of New Zealand Women during Pregnancy and Lactation |
| title_fullStr | Dietary Choices of New Zealand Women during Pregnancy and Lactation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dietary Choices of New Zealand Women during Pregnancy and Lactation |
| title_short | Dietary Choices of New Zealand Women during Pregnancy and Lactation |
| title_sort | dietary choices of new zealand women during pregnancy and lactation |
| topic | New Zealand pregnancy lactation dietary choices food safety information sources |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/9/2692 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kimberleybrown dietarychoicesofnewzealandwomenduringpregnancyandlactation AT pamelavonhurst dietarychoicesofnewzealandwomenduringpregnancyandlactation AT jeanetterapson dietarychoicesofnewzealandwomenduringpregnancyandlactation AT cathrynconlon dietarychoicesofnewzealandwomenduringpregnancyandlactation |