American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 25, 916-925, Copyright © 1972 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Assessment of nutritional status of teenage pregnant girls. I. Nutrient intake and pregnancy

¹ From the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720

Social background, dietary intake, and clinical course and outcome of pregnancy were evaluated in 18 pregnant teenagers in San Francisco (group I). The pregnancies of 34 other teenage girls were also evaluated from their medical records (group II). Diet records were also kept by five, healthy, never-pregnant girls of the same age group (group III) and by 14 of the previously pregnant teenagers in group I during the postpartum period.

Generally, the pregnant teenagers in group I were more than 2 years postmenarche, unmarried at the time of conception, came from various racial backgrounds, and were concerned by the lack of money. The sample is unique in that all but one did not quit high school when they became pregnant. Only six lived in homes of their own; the others lived with their families, relatives, or friends so they were not completely free to choose their diets.

The teenagers in this study consumed more food during their pregnancy than the never-pregnant girls studied, but there was not one nutrient tabulated that was adequately supplied to all the girls, with or without prescribed prenatal supplements to the food intake. The nutrients most poorly supplied by the diets during and after pregnancy were calcium, iron, vitamin A, and energy. Protein was the most nearly adequate with all the girls during pregnancy and postpartum meeting at least two-thirds of the suggested allowance for nonpregnant females (36 g). Most, but not all, of the pregnant girls took prescribed nutrient supplements, but not regularly.

The total weight gain of the teenagers was in the range of adult pregnancies, although it was often erratic. Clinical edema or periods of rapid weight gain were detected in 25 out of 47 girls. Diuretics or low sodium diets, or both, were used to treat 20 of these girls. Additional complications, including proteinuria, inadequate weight gain, anemia, and glycosuria, were found in 15 other girls. Thus, 85% of the 47 pregnant teenagers had some problems during pregnancy.

The infants of the girls in group I weighed 3,030 g; one infant was stillborn and four had problems at birth. The infants in group II weighed 3,318 g and did not have any problems at birth. The birth weight of the infant was positively associated with the weight gain of the mother during pregnancy (P < 0.01), and the smaller the girl prior to pregnancy the more she gained (P < 0.01). Neither birth weight nor maternal weight gain were influenced by maternal age, height, or recorded dietary energy and nutrient intake.