Maternal fat intake ( n = 25 ) might be associated with gestational weight gain as suggested by observational studies , although the direction of this association might depend on specific types of fat ( e.g. , saturated fat ) .
Macronutrient intake was not consistently associated with the prevalence of inadequate or excessive gestational weight gain .
CONCLUSIONS The current literature provides evidence that energy intake is associated with gestational weight gain , but the roles of individual macronutrients are inconsistent .
BACKGROUND  Abnormal gestational weight gain is associated with unfavorable pregnancy outcomes .
Several risk factors have been identified , but the effect of macronutrient intake during pregnancy on gestational weight gain has not been systematic ally evaluated in both high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries .
Longitudinal analysis of changes in energy intake and macronutrient composition during pregnancy and 6 weeks post-partum
Purpose This prospect i ve study was carried out in order to investigate changes in nutritional intake during pregnancy with regard to caloric intake and macronutrient composition in normal-weight pregnant women . Methods Using food scales , 32 healthy pregnant women estimated their food intake over a period of 2 days at gestational week 16 , 22 , 30 , 36 and , in addition , 6 weeks after delivery . The recorded food logs were analyzed with respect to caloric intake and macronutrient composition . Results The women ’s age was averaged 29.6 ± 4.5 years , and the mean pre-pregnancy BMI was 22.4 ± 2.5 kg/m2  . Mean weight gain was 16.5 ± 4.5 kg . On average , birth took place during the 40th week of gestation , with the babies having a mean birth weight of 3,515 ± 406 g. Caloric intake during the gestation period and post-partum showed no statistically significant changes and added up 9,237 ± 1,876 kJ/day during the 16th week of gestation , 9,496 ± 2,437 kJ/day during the 22nd , 9,073 ± 1,863 kJ/day during the 30th , 9,525 ± 2,135 kJ/day during the 36th week and 8,445 ± 2,160 kJ/day 6 weeks after delivery . No significant changes were observed in the composition of macronutrients during the pregnancy . The daily composition of macronutrients was as follows : carbohydrates 281 ± 57 g/day ( 51.7 % ) , fat 86 ± 16 g/day ( 35.8 % ) and protein 75 ± 13 g/day ( 13.9 % ) . However , we observed a decrease in carbohydrate intake of 239 ± 72 g/day ( 48 % ) after birth . Conclusions Healthy pregnant women showed no significant changes in their caloric intake or nutritional profiles . Performed with an accurate measurement , this prospect i ve study shows that healthy pregnant require neither increased caloric intake nor a change in macronutrient composition
Maternal fat intake ( n = 25 ) might be associated with gestational weight gain as suggested by observational studies , although the direction of this association might depend on specific types of fat ( e.g. , saturated fat ) .
Macronutrient intake was not consistently associated with the prevalence of inadequate or excessive gestational weight gain .
CONCLUSIONS The current literature provides evidence that energy intake is associated with gestational weight gain , but the roles of individual macronutrients are inconsistent .
BACKGROUND  Abnormal gestational weight gain is associated with unfavorable pregnancy outcomes .
Several risk factors have been identified , but the effect of macronutrient intake during pregnancy on gestational weight gain has not been systematic ally evaluated in both high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries .