Abstract
Malnutrition during the critical period of pregnancy has significant health outcomes
for both the mother and her offspring. Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) by a registered
dietitian nutritionist (RDN) may help mitigate negative health effects, although studies
that support the role of the RDN have not been comprehensively evaluated. The objective
was to explore the health effects of MNT by an RDN on maternal and infant outcomes
in pregnant women with malnutrition. A systematic review of studies published between
2000 and 2014 that incorporated MNT by an RDN during pregnancy were retrieved from
a PubMed search, using criteria established by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Evidence Analysis Process. Among 94 identified studies, five controlled trials met
the inclusion criteria. The initial search was extended to include one study published
between 2014 and 2019. Outcomes included maternal gestational weight gain, maternal
markers of glycemic control, maternal complications such as hypertension, incidence
of caesarean section, infant birth weight both in grams and in clinical categories,
infant gestational age, and infant complications. There was good/strong evidence that
MNT by an RDN decreased gestational weight gain, although there was no effect on maternal
complications, caesarean section deliveries, and gestational age among women with
mixed body mass index status or those who were overweight/obese. The evidence was
deemed fair in support of an effect on glycemic control, infant birth weight, and
infant complications. The heterogeneity in the results are due to the variation among
populations studied, types of interventions, and inconsistency among outcomes. In
addition, the training and educational requirements of the RDN or the international
equivalent may vary widely across the four countries in which studies were conducted.
There was good evidence for MNT by an RDN during pregnancy on improving gestational
weight gain among overweight/obese women. To better support the role of MNT by an
RDN in the health care of pregnant women, research that clearly identifies the role
of the RDN in the intervention, includes a control group, and studies more heterogeneous
populations is needed.
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Biography
M. Pari-Keener is a clinical dietitian, Outpatient Clinic, Department of Pediatrics, New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn.
Biography
S. Gallo is an assistant professor, Nutrition and Food Studies, College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.
Biography
B. Stahnke is a WIC advisory team manager, Georgia Department of Health, Division of Health Promotion, Georgia Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, Program Integrity and Strategy Unit, Atlanta.
Biography
J. M. McDermid is an assistant professor; Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
Biography
R. I. Al-Nimr is the director, Nutrition in Medical Education Program, and a clinical instructor in Medicine & Medical Education, The Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, and a clinical dietitian in research, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
Biography
J. M. Moreschi is a regional educator, University of Illinois Extension, SNAP-Ed, Ottawa.
Biography
R. Hakeem is a principal and professor of nutrition, Raana Liaqat Ali Khan Government College of Home Economics, Karachi, Pakistan.
Biography
D. Handu is a senior scientific director, Evidence Analysis Center, Research, International and Scientific Affairs, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, IL.
Biography
F. W. Cheng is a nutrition researcher, Evidence Analysis Center, Research, International and Scientific Affairs, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, IL.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 06, 2020
Footnotes
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT Supported by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Women’s Health Dietetic Practice Group.
Identification
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© 2020 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
