Changes in energy expenditure, anthropometry, and energy intake during the course of pregnancy and lactation in well-nourished Indian women
Piers, L.S.; Diggavi, S.N.; Thangam, S.; van Raaij, J.M.; Shetty, P.S.; Hautvast, J.G.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 61(3): 501-513
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9165 PMID: 7872213 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/61.3.501Document Number: 288724
Researchers compared data on 18 nonpregnant, nonlactating staff and students (controls) with data on 18 pregnant women at 12, 24, and 34 weeks gestation and on 17 of these women at 12 and 24 weeks postpartum to determine any changes in maternal energy metabolism during pregnancy and lactation. All controls and cases were healthy and recruited at St. John's Medical College and Hospital in Bangalore, India. They had unlimited access to food. Mean birth weight stood at 3.06 kg. Pregnant women gained, on average, 11.4 kg between 12 weeks gestation and term. They also gained 3.1 kg of adipose tissue and 2.5 kg in fat mass during the same period. The total energy cost of pregnancy was 303 MJ. Pregnant women experienced a cumulative increase in energy intake over the last trimesters of pregnancy of 290 MJ, satisfying a considerable part of the total estimated cost of pregnancy. Neither the basal metabolic rate nor the thermic effect of a meal were related to any energy saving during pregnancy or lactation. Energy intake was significantly higher than that of controls at 24 and 34 weeks gestation (9.01 and 9.33 vs 7.58 MJ/d) and at 12 and 24 weeks postpartum (9.6 and 9.09 vs. 7.58 MJ/d) (p 0.05). The proxy indicator of adequate lactational performance was weight gain of infant between birth and 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, the body weights were similar to the 50th percentile of the NCHS weight-for-age. These findings suggest that increases in energy intake met the need for extra energy needed during lactation and that metabolic economy and increase in fat mobilization did not occur.