ABSTRACT

The subjects were 120 breast-feeding mothers whose children were admitted for outpatient or inpatient treatment at the Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw, between March, 1998 and July, 1999. A special nutritional questionnaire was elaborated with the aim to evaluate subjects’ nutritional status as well as their diet. All subjects completed the questionnaire and then selected parameters of their nutritional status and diet were evaluated. For 43 of the women under study it was the first month of lactation, for 33 - the fourth month, for 23 - the sixth and 21 women had been breast - feeding for more then six months. The subjects were of different age, coming from both urban and rural areas. In the studied group the nutritional status, i.e. body mass indices (BMI) before pregnancy, at the end of pregnancy and during lactation were within the normal range. 65 of the subjects had changed their diet due to pregnancy and 52 due to lactation. Women declared to be used to eating 3 - 4 meals per day. Having additional snacks was declared by 62.5%. Liquids’ intake was on average about 2.5 1/24 hr, range 2 - 3 1 . Average daily energy intake - 2938 kcal /12980 kJ, the lowest - in a diet of a mother with diabetes, the highest - in a diet of a vegetarian mother. The proportion of protein in energy intake was 15.1%, whereas fat - 36.3%. Dietary practices of women under study in the period of lactation were well adjusted to nutritional recommendations for this group, as evidenced by indices of nutritional status (i.e. BMI). Among 120 women, 71 were taking supplementary preparations of vitamins and minerals. It turned out that a level of some vitamins in a daily food intake together with supplementation was definitely too high.