The dietary intake of two groups of lactating women in Shanghai during puerperium period

Background and Objectives: Lactation is a time of increased nutritional requirements for mothers, and inadequate nutrient intake may have a detrimental effect on a woman's nutritional status. To investigate the dietary intake of two groups of women in Shanghai during the traditional confinement period. Methods and Study Design: Two groups of women (1) a community dwelling sample (n=92); (2) residents in a Maternity Care Centre (MCC) (n=30), kept a prospective dietary record which was complemented by photographing. This data collection was done on a single day on three occasions in the community group, and for three days on five occasions in the MCC one. The mean nutrient intakes of the two groups were compared at common time points to dietary reference intakes, and the food intake was compared to dietary guidelines. Results: Over half of this population had high body mass indices (BMIs) which reported that an excessive proportion of calories had come from fat intake. The mean intakes of sodium were higher than the recommended. Fruit, vegetable, bean, tuber, and milk intakes were lower than the recommendations. Over 70% of the women failed to meet the Estimated Average Requiremen (EAR) for calcium. A notable proportion of all women failed to meet the EAR for vitamin C, thiamin, and riboflavin. Dietary fiber intakes were low, with a group mean intake value less than half the Adequate Intake (AI). Conclusions: This study on dietary intakes indicates nutritional intake issues may exist among lactating women in Shanghai, particularly in community-dwelling women.