Dietary supplementation usage by pregnant women in Silesia — population based study

Abstract

Objectives: Despite wide access to gynecological and obstetric advice, informational campaigns, and information online and in magazines aimed at pregnant women, there is a worryingly high percentage of women who still do not use recommended dietary supplementation. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of micronutrient supplementation by pregnant women and to specify the determinants that impact decisions concerning supplementation. Material and methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted between June 2016 and May 2017 among a group of pregnant women visiting gynecological and obstetric clinics in the Silesia region, who have completed an authorized questionnaire developed for the purpose of this study. The questionnaire addressed the women's dietary habits, micronutrient supplementation use, as well as their socio-economic status. Completed questionnaires were obtained from 505 pregnant women.Results: Microminerals and vitamins supplementation during pregnancy was declared by 410 (81.2%) women. The most often used supplement was folic acid (62%). More than one-third of pregnant women (38.4%) declared vitamin D intake. Among the recommended supplements, the least commonly used (30.3%) were polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Factors contributing to supplementation use during pregnancy are past history of miscarriage and socioeconomic factors, such as: place of residence, financial situation and level of education. Inhabitants of larger cities, women with better self-perceived financial situations, higher education levels and those presenting past history of miscarriage took the supplements significantly more often. Conclusions:Lower levels of education, low-income financial status and living in rural localities are among the factors correlating with worse adherence to supplementation guidelines.

Determinants of the Essential Elements and Vitamins Intake and Status during Pregnancy: A Descriptive Study in Polish Mother and Child Cohort

“…Fe supplementation is recommended in Poland under specific circumstances (as it was described previously) and our data indicate that it is taken by 24% of the pregnant women. These percentages are lower compared to other data from Poland, where 35% women declared Fe supplementation [43]. It is worth mentioning that the slight differences between studies may be partially a result of different gestational ages within study populations.…”

Food Supplement Use Differs from the Recommendations in Pregnant Women: A Multinational Survey

“…We sought to characterize food supplement users and found that primiparous and non-smoking women were more likely to consume food supplements as compared to multiparous and smoking women, with this result being supported by findings from previous studies with both pregnant [ 9 , 34 , 36 , 37 ] and non-pregnant women [ 38 , 39 , 40 ]. Surprisingly, we did not detect an association between supplement use and some factors previously linked with their use during pregnancy such as education, maternal age, or BMI [ 9 , 12 , 13 , 37 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. It could be speculated whether supplement use is linked to a general awareness, irrespective of these factors, of the importance of sufficient nutrient intake during pregnancy for the benefit of the mother and child.…”

“…Previous findings on food supplement use, mostly from cohort studies or clinical trials, indicate that 69–96% of pregnant women use food supplements in Western countries [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. However, there is little information on the daily intakes of nutrients from food supplements and whether the doses are in line with local recommendations.…”

Study on the changes in TSH, TPO-Ab and other indicators due to Vitamin D deficiency in Pregnant Women with subclinical hypothyroidism in the first trimester

“…Fat synthesis is hyperactive, while fat decomposition is suppressed, which often gives rise to fetal macrosomia and premature delivery. 13 , 15…”

“…Fat synthesis is hyperactive, while fat decomposition is suppressed, which often gives rise to fetal macrosomia and premature delivery. 13,15 Both prenatal subclinical hypothyroidism and vitamin D deficiency are common diseases in the first trimester. They can produce adverse effects in pregnant women and fetuses.…”