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Research: WIERZEJSKA and COLLEAGUES,
Listed in Issue 290
Abstract
WIERZEJSKA and COLLEAGUES, 1 Institute of Food and Nutrition, Clinic of Metabolic Diseases and Gastroenterology, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Powsińska St. 61/63, 02-903 Warsaw, Poland set out to evaluate DHA intake during pregnancy and compare it to the current recommendations.
Background
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is indispensable to ensure proper development of the foetal central nervous system and pregnancy duration. Daily intake of DHA should be at least 100 mg higher compared to the pre-pregnancy values. The aim of the study was to evaluate DHA intake during pregnancy compared to current recommendations.
Methodology
A total of 100 pregnant women presenting for labour at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Oncology, Medical University of Warsaw, were included in the study. DHA intake from the following sources: fish and eggs, and DHA preparations collected based on the questionnaire was investigated.
Results
Low dietary DHA intake (median: 60 mg/day) was observed. The values were only slightly higher (median: 90 mg/day) after DHA preparations were taken into consideration because only 28% of the pregnant women used DHA preparations. Overall, 92% of the subjects consumed <200 mg of DHA a day, which was the result of insufficient fish consumption (mean: 15 g/day). Only 10% of the respondents ate fish twice a week, in which case the DHA dietary intake was statistically significantly higher (median: 160 mg/day) (p=0.0232). Total median dietary DHA and EPA intake in the study population was 79 mg/day.
Conclusion
The diet of pregnant women is largely deficient as far as DHA intake is concerned. Importantly, it is not possible to comply with current recommendations without dietary supplementation.
References
Regina Wierzejska 1 , Mirosław Jarosz 1 , Barbara Wojda 1 , Magdalena Siuba-Strzelińska 1. Dietary intake of DHA during pregnancy: a significant gap between the actual intake and current nutritional recommendations. Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig.; 69(4):381-386. doi: 10.32394/rpzh.2018.0044. 2018.
