Spontaneous nutritional intake in a population of tunisian women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Background. Covering nutritional needs during pregnancy contributes to avoiding fetal and maternal-specific repercussions. Our study aimed to evaluate spontaneous energy and nutrients intake in a Tunisian population of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and assess these intakes’ impact on gestational weight gain. Methods. This was a prospective longitudinal study involving 220 women with GDM. It was carried out for 18 months. Weight gain during pregnancy was assessed at the time of GDM diagnosis and after delivery. This weight gain was interpreted according to the pre-gestational BMI and according to the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine. The estimation of energy and nutrient intakes was made by the 24-hour recall method. Results. Half of the patients (44.5%) had excessive weight gain in late pregnancy. The mean total energy intake was 2136.0 ± 764.6 kcal/day. Excessive intake of total carbohydrates and total fat was noted in 32.2% and 15.5% of cases. Insufficient intake of MUFA, α-linolenic acid, and protein was found in 78.9%, 31.6%, and 13.63% of cases. Iron, calcium, B vitamins, and Zinc were below Population Reference Intakes. We did not find an association between energy intake and weight gain in late pregnancy (p=0.15). Conclusion. Maternal nutrition still to be a problem of concern. It was unbalanced in our population with excessive carbohydrate intakes and several micronutrient deficiencies. Nutritional education for this at-risk population would be essential to limit maternal and fetal complications.