Diet Quality During Pregnancy Is Associated With Stunting Babies

This study aims to determine the differences in diet quality during pregnancy between mothers who gave birth to stunted babies and mothers who gave birth to normal babies, using The Alternate Healthy Eating Index for Pregnancy (AHEI-P) to evaluate diet quality. A total of 33 mothers who gave birth to stunted babies (case group) and 38 mothers who gave birth to normal babies (control group) were involved in this study. The results showed that the diet quality of mothers in the control group (score 78.4 ± 7.4) was good, while in the case group (score 74.2 ± 4.3), it still needed improvement. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference in diet quality between the case and control groups (p-value = 0.021). These results indicate that lower diet quality in the case group is associated with risk factors that can affect the incidence of stunting. Low diet quality in the case group is indicated by high consumption of trans fats and sweet drinks and low consumption of vegetables, fruits, and iron. On the other hand, the consumption of nuts in both groups still needs to be improved. These findings emphasize the importance of improving maternal diet quality during pregnancy to prevent infant stunting.