Nutrient intakes and nutritional biomarkers in pregnant adolescents: a systematic review of studies in developed countries

Abstract

BackgroundBabies born to adolescent mothers have been shown to have poorer outcomes compared to those born to adults. Nutritional status may have an important role to play in improving the health of pregnant adolescents; however there is a lack of evidence regarding the adequacy of adolescent diets during pregnancy. This systematic review aims to examine what is known about the nutritional status of adolescent pregnant women.MethodsA systematic search of the literature identified 21 studies which met the inclusion criteria for the review. Primary research papers using any methods were included where they were published in English between January 1995 and May 2015 and included measurements of nutrient intakes or biological markers of nutritional status in pregnant women aged 11–19 years. Individual study data was first summarised narratively before study means were pooled to give an estimate of nutritional status in the population.ResultsThe results show that individual studies reported intakes of energy, fibre and a number of key micronutrients which were below recommended levels. Biological markers of iron and selenium status also showed cause for concern. Pooled analysis of individual means as a percentage of UK Dietary Reference Intakes showed intakes of vitamin D (34.8 % CI 0–83.1) to be significantly below recommendations (p = 0.05). Serum selenium levels were also found to be low (61.8 μg/L, CI 39–84).ConclusionsThis review has identified a number of areas where the nutritional status of pregnant adolescents is sub-optimal, which may have implications for the health of adolescent mothers and their babies. It was not however possible to examine the impact of supplement use or socio-demographic characteristics which limits the interpretation these results. Further work is needed to establish the characteristics of those most at risk within this population, how this differs from adult pregnant women and the role of supplementation in achieving adequate nutrition.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-016-1059-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Role of Vitamin D in Fertility and during Pregnancy and Lactation: A Review of Clinical Data

“…We wish to emphasize that inadequate vitamin D intakes and vitamin D deficiency in pregnant and lactating women are very common worldwide, thus pointing to the need to improve vitamin D status [ 127 , 128 , 129 , 130 , 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 , 135 , 136 , 137 , 138 , 139 , 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 ]. A systematic review has shown that 25(OH)D concentrations below 50 and 25 nmol/L during pregnancy were reported in 64% and 9% of Americans, and 57% and 23% of Europeans [ 127 ].…”

Associations between prenatal serum levels of leptin, IGF-I, and estradiol and adolescent mothers’ height gain during and after pregnancy

“…Our participants' greater body fat reserve could help them cover the necessary energy for breastfeeding and also, therefore, increase their height. Our patient sample also had appropriate caloric intake for their age and levels of physical activities and in accordance with international recommendations [53,54]. Therefore, we posit that breastfeeding probably does not affect adolescents' growth as long as they have adequate energy intake.…”

Weight management during teenage pregnancy: Issues to consider when developing appropriate support

“…In addition to the risks associated with maternal obesity, focus also needs to be on the weight gained during pregnancy. A recent review found that young women may gain between 14 and 17 kilos (Marvin-Dowle et al, 2016) during pregnancy, which is more than recommended by international guidelines (Institute of Medicine, 2009). Little research is available on teenagers' views regarding their weight gain in pregnancy.…”