Changes in diet from pregnancy to one year after birth: a longitudinal study

Abstract

Background Pregnancy and the first year after giving birth are marked by physiological and psychological changes. While it is well known that energy requirements change during this time, the question of how a woman’s diet actually changes from pregnancy until 1 year postpartum has been left virtually unexplored. The present study employs a longitudinal design to investigate these changes. Methods Data were collected within the framework of the LIFE Child study (Leipzig, Germany). The diet composition and culture of eating of 110 women were assessed at 3 time points: in the 24th week of pregnancy, 3 months after giving birth (breastfeeding period), and 12 months after giving birth (after weaning). We assessed differences in nutritional health (Nutritional Health Score, NHS) and the consumption of different food items at each of these time points. We also investigated associations between nutritional health and age, socio-economic status (SES), BMI before pregnancy, and previous births at all three time points. Results The analyses revealed high correlations in the NHS values between the three time points (rhot0/t1 = .55, rhot0/t2 = .60). On average, nutritional health was lower in the breastfeeding period than during pregnancy. In more detail, women reported less healthy levels of treats and white bread consumption and a higher frequency of snacking in the breastfeeding period than during pregnancy. In contrast, overall nutritional health did not differ significantly between pregnancy and the time after weaning. Increased age was associated with a healthier diet during pregnancy, and a high SES was associated with healthier diet after weaning. Furthermore, the increase in nutritional health from the breastfeeding period to the time after weaning was significantly stronger in women with a higher BMI. We observed no significant associations between dietary nutritional health and previous births. Conclusions The present findings suggest that higher energy requirements in the breastfeeding period are met by consuming high-calorie and unhealthy food products rather than healthy and nutrient-rich food. Young mothers should be supported in taking care of their own nutritional health during the challenging time of breastfeeding and caring for a newborn child.

Nutritional intake and determinants of nutritional quality changes from pregnancy to postpartum—a longitudinal study

“…The trend toward poorer overall dietary quality after delivery, aligns with our results and has been further corroborated by subsequent studies examining dietary quality during this transitional period (Lebrun et al, 2019;Poulain et al, 2021).…”

“…Nutritional quality increased over time in older participants, which is consistent with earlier findings regarding healthy eating patterns during pregnancy (Arkkola et al, 2008;Bodnar & Siega-Riz, 2002;Englund-Ogge et al, 2014;Poulain et al, 2021;Rifas-Shiman et al, 2009;Stråvik et al, 2019). Unlike results from previous research (Arkkola et al, 2008;Bodnar & Siega-Riz, 2002;Englund-Ogge et al, 2014;Northstone et al, 2008;Rifas-Shiman et al, 2009;Stråvik et al, 2019), level of education did not significantly determine the changes in nutritional quality in our study.…”

“…Adequate intake of these nutrients can possibly reduce the risk of several pregnancy complications with potential long‐term health consequences during both pregnancy and childhood (Allen, 2000 ; Bärebring, Bullarbo, et al., 2016 ; Bärebring, Bullarbo, et al., 2018 ; Modzelewska et al., 2021 ; Tamura & Picciano, 2006 ). A German study showed that dietary quality, assessed by Nutritional Health Score, was lower 3 months postpartum than during pregnancy (Poulain et al., 2021 ). However, no significant changes in dietary quality were seen between pregnancy and 12 months postpartum.…”

“…Determinants of nutritional quality changes from pregnancy to postpartum have, so far, rarely been studied. Overall, studies have suggested that younger age and lower socioeconomic status are associated with poorer dietary quality during pregnancy (Doyle et al., 2017 ) and postpartum (Poulain et al., 2021 ). Furthermore, higher pre‐pregnancy BMI has been associated with increased dietary quality between three and 12 months postpartum (Poulain et al., 2021 ).…”

The prevalence of trimester-specific dietary supplements and associated factors during pregnancy: An observational study

“…These results are supported by a previous study carried out in Sweden which showed that education level and employment were associated with the use of DS during early pregnancy ( Bärebring et al, 2018 ). A previous study reported that high socioeconomic status was associated with a healthier diet during pregnancy ( Poulain et al, 2021 ). It is possible that socioeconomic status is related to a woman’s ability to purchase DS.…”