The impact of dietary counselling during pregnancy on vitamin intake and status of women and their children

: Sanna Vähämiko, Erika Isolauri, Tuija Poussa, Kirsi Laitinen

Publisher: INFORMA HEALTHCARE

: 2013

: International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition

: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCES AND NUTRITION

: INT J FOOD SCI NUTR

: 5

: 64

: 5

: 551

: 560

: 10

: 0963-7486

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/09637486.2013.766153

We aimed here to assess the impact of dietary counselling during pregnancy on dietary intake of vitamins and the vitamin status of women and their children. At the first trimester of pregnancy, 89 women from allergic families were randomized to a control group (n = 45) or to receive individual dietary counselling (n = 44). Women's vitamin intakes and serum concentrations were analyzed during and after pregnancy. Further, vitamin concentrations were measured from breast milk and infant serum at one month of age. The study is registered as clinical study (NCT00167000; section 3, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). Dietary counselling resulted in a higher intake of beta-carotene and vitamin E compared to controls. Further, in women lower serum beta-carotene and higher colostrum vitamin A concentrations were found in the intervention group compared to controls. Dietary counselling during pregnancy improves women's vitamin intakes but does not provide unambiguous effects on vitamin status of women or children.