How much do pregnant women need to eat - should we intervene?

摘要

The calculated additional energy requirement for pregnancy is 70 000 kcal (293 MJ) (Hytten & Leitch 1971). This is needed for the accumulation of protein and fat, along with additional energy required for the maintenance of the fetus and extra added maternal tissue. Up to about 30 weeks of pregnancy, the increased energy requirement is dominated by the accumulation of maternal fat. During the last 10 weeks, this fat deposition virtually stops and most of the energy is used for fetal tissue synthesis when fetal growth is maximal. Simultaneously, there is a considerable rise in oxygen consumption for the maintenance of the new tissues. The pattern of altered body composition of pregnancy during the first two-thirds of pregnancy provides an energy bank for fetal growth, labour and lactation in late pregnancy.