Patterns of Dietary Nutrient Consumption among Pregnant Mothers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Abstract

Pregnancy is a condition of higher nutrient requirement but in developing country like
Bangladesh most of the pregnant women can not meet their nutrient requirement and some
time they are neglected in the family. The purpose of the study was to assess the nutritional
status and dietary nutrient intake by the pregnant women, in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Under a
cross-sectional design, 30 healthy non-pregnant as well as 130 pregnant women, at 3 different
trimesters of pregnancy were assessed. A questionnaire was developed to obtained
demographic, socio-economic, anthropometric, drug and medical history. Using 24-hour
food recall for three days in a row, their food intake was assessed and then converted to
nutrients intake. The average BMI of the non-pregnant women was found 22.89 ± 3.4 kg/m^
and for pregnant women was found 23.52 ± 3.71 kgW. The mean dietary nutrients intake of
dietary fiber, calorie, protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin C,
Vitamin A, folate, vitamin Bg and Vitamin B12 of the pregnant mothers was 4.38 g, 1619 kcal,
60.05 g, 30.38 g, 268.79 g, 537.21 mg, 21.53 mg, 1.15 mg, 0.94 mg, 97.36 mg, 647.6 jUg,
153.93 jUg, 1.41 mg and 4.09 fig respectively. Most of pregnant women (more than 90%)
failed to meet their energy, calcium and folate requirement. Most of the pregnant mother in
Bangladesh can not fulfill their dietary requirements during pregnancy.