Obstetric healthcare experiences and information needs of Dutch women in relation to their vegan diet during pregnancy
Objectives: The prevalence of a vegan (strict plant-based) diet is increasing. Adequate access to nutritional information for pregnant women on a vegan diet is vital, as optimal maternal nutrition is important in order to prevent maternal and fetal complications. This study evaluated the obstetric h...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Preventive Medicine Reports |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335524003310 |
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| author | Deidre Meulenbroeks Daisy Jonkers Hubertina Scheepers Jessica Gubbels |
| author_facet | Deidre Meulenbroeks Daisy Jonkers Hubertina Scheepers Jessica Gubbels |
| author_sort | Deidre Meulenbroeks |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: The prevalence of a vegan (strict plant-based) diet is increasing. Adequate access to nutritional information for pregnant women on a vegan diet is vital, as optimal maternal nutrition is important in order to prevent maternal and fetal complications. This study evaluated the obstetric healthcare experiences and information needs of pregnant women following a vegan diet in the Netherlands. Methods: An online survey examined women’s experiences with obstetric healthcare in relation to their vegan diet during pregnancy. In total, 195 women, all of whom followed a vegan diet during their pregnancy and gave birth between January 2018 and April 2020, completed an online survey about their experiences. Descriptive statistics were used to present the data. Results: In total, 36.5% of participants reported that an obstetric healthcare provider had inquired about their diet in general during the first prenatal consultation, and an additional 43.1% of participants proactively informed their healthcare provider about their diet. Only 19.0% of all participants received specific information about their vegan diet during pregnancy, and 25.2% reported having had extra checks, mostly blood tests, during their pregnancy. Of all participants, 35.9% would have preferred to receive additional information regarding their diet. Conclusions: Our data shows that only a minority of pregnant women following a vegan diet received information and recommendations about their diet from their healthcare providers. It is our recommendation that healthcare providers inquire about pregnant women’s diets, and refer those following a vegan diet to reliable sources of dietary information or to a specialized dietitian. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e3ff8c12c8d149afa7f9e5060ba969f1 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2211-3355 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-e3ff8c12c8d149afa7f9e5060ba969f12025-08-20T02:37:29ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552024-12-014810291610.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102916Obstetric healthcare experiences and information needs of Dutch women in relation to their vegan diet during pregnancyDeidre Meulenbroeks0Daisy Jonkers1Hubertina Scheepers2Jessica Gubbels3Maastricht University Medical Centre, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, GROW – Research Institute of Oncology and Reproduction, P. Debyelaan 25, 6202 AZ Maastricht, the Netherlands; Corresponding author at: Maastricht UMC+, Postbus 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, the Netherlands.Maastricht University, NUTRIM Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, 6200 MD Maastricht, the NetherlandsMaastricht University Medical Centre, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, GROW – Research Institute of Oncology and Reproduction, P. Debyelaan 25, 6202 AZ Maastricht, the NetherlandsMaastricht University, NUTRIM, Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Department of Health Promotion, 6200 MD Maastricht, the NetherlandsObjectives: The prevalence of a vegan (strict plant-based) diet is increasing. Adequate access to nutritional information for pregnant women on a vegan diet is vital, as optimal maternal nutrition is important in order to prevent maternal and fetal complications. This study evaluated the obstetric healthcare experiences and information needs of pregnant women following a vegan diet in the Netherlands. Methods: An online survey examined women’s experiences with obstetric healthcare in relation to their vegan diet during pregnancy. In total, 195 women, all of whom followed a vegan diet during their pregnancy and gave birth between January 2018 and April 2020, completed an online survey about their experiences. Descriptive statistics were used to present the data. Results: In total, 36.5% of participants reported that an obstetric healthcare provider had inquired about their diet in general during the first prenatal consultation, and an additional 43.1% of participants proactively informed their healthcare provider about their diet. Only 19.0% of all participants received specific information about their vegan diet during pregnancy, and 25.2% reported having had extra checks, mostly blood tests, during their pregnancy. Of all participants, 35.9% would have preferred to receive additional information regarding their diet. Conclusions: Our data shows that only a minority of pregnant women following a vegan diet received information and recommendations about their diet from their healthcare providers. It is our recommendation that healthcare providers inquire about pregnant women’s diets, and refer those following a vegan diet to reliable sources of dietary information or to a specialized dietitian.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335524003310Plant-based dietVeganDietVegetarianPregnancyObstetric healthcare |
| spellingShingle | Deidre Meulenbroeks Daisy Jonkers Hubertina Scheepers Jessica Gubbels Obstetric healthcare experiences and information needs of Dutch women in relation to their vegan diet during pregnancy Preventive Medicine Reports Plant-based diet Vegan Diet Vegetarian Pregnancy Obstetric healthcare |
| title | Obstetric healthcare experiences and information needs of Dutch women in relation to their vegan diet during pregnancy |
| title_full | Obstetric healthcare experiences and information needs of Dutch women in relation to their vegan diet during pregnancy |
| title_fullStr | Obstetric healthcare experiences and information needs of Dutch women in relation to their vegan diet during pregnancy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Obstetric healthcare experiences and information needs of Dutch women in relation to their vegan diet during pregnancy |
| title_short | Obstetric healthcare experiences and information needs of Dutch women in relation to their vegan diet during pregnancy |
| title_sort | obstetric healthcare experiences and information needs of dutch women in relation to their vegan diet during pregnancy |
| topic | Plant-based diet Vegan Diet Vegetarian Pregnancy Obstetric healthcare |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335524003310 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT deidremeulenbroeks obstetrichealthcareexperiencesandinformationneedsofdutchwomeninrelationtotheirvegandietduringpregnancy AT daisyjonkers obstetrichealthcareexperiencesandinformationneedsofdutchwomeninrelationtotheirvegandietduringpregnancy AT hubertinascheepers obstetrichealthcareexperiencesandinformationneedsofdutchwomeninrelationtotheirvegandietduringpregnancy AT jessicagubbels obstetrichealthcareexperiencesandinformationneedsofdutchwomeninrelationtotheirvegandietduringpregnancy |