Running head: PREGNANCY/LACTATION
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Pregnancy/Lactation Case Study
By June Saxton
6/18/2013
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Pregnancy/Lactation Case Study
The 16 year old, is gaining the proper amount of weight. The total amount of weight that
she should gain according to the pregnancy guidelines is 25 to 35 pounds (Edelstein and Sharlin,
2009). Since she was of normal weight at the beginning of her pregnancy (National Institute of
Health, n.d.) and she only gained 10 pounds and is still in her first trimester she is on track if she
continues at the same rate during her second and third trimesters. The 40 year old is gaining too
much weight since she has already gained 20 pounds. According to pregnancy guidelines, she
should gain between 25 to 35 pounds (Edelstein and Sharlin, 2009) because she was in the
normal weight range (National Institute of Health, n.d.) at the start of her pregnancy. She has
already gained 20 pounds in the first trimester and this is more than half of the weight that she
should gain.
The recommendations for weight gain for an underweight pregnant female is 28 to 40
pounds, overweight is 15 to 25 pounds and normal weight is 25 to 35 pounds (Edelstein and
Sharlin, 2009).
The calorie needs for a pregnant teen do differ from a 40 year old pregnant female.
Although, most pregnant women need an additional 300 calories per day, a pregnant teen should
consume 300 calories above the 2200 calories recommended for teens. This is because the
pregnant teen is still growing and the calories must account for her growth needs as well as the
growing baby (Earhart, 2010).
The nutrients that need to be increased during pregnancy are: carbohydrates, protein,
vitamin A, vitamin E, thiamin, pantothenic acid, folate, choline, calcium, magnesium, zinc and
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selenium. The pregnant teenager is not taking her prenatal vitamins regularly and is not eating a
balanced diet, so she is probably not getting enough the extra nutrients that she needs. She is also
a lacto ovo vegetarian and her main sources of protein are cheese and peanut butter, so she is at
risk of not getting enough protein. One the other hand, the pregnant 40 year old is taking her
prenatal vitamins and eating a more balanced diet. She is, however, trying to restrict her starch
which puts her at risk of not getting enough carbohydrates if she does not replace the starch with
fruits and vegetables.
The risk factors are not the same for a pregnant 16 year old and a 40 year old woman.
There is a higher risk of developing medical complications during pregnancy for the pregnant
teen and infants born to pregnant teens are at higher risk of low birth weight, prematurity and
inadequate fetal growth (Walding, 2011). The 40 year old woman at risk of having a baby who
has Down’s syndrome or Autism. Because of her age she herself has a higher risk of gestational
diabetes and high blood pressure (Walding, 2011).
Proper nutrition ensures that the mother and baby are getting all the nutrients that they
both need. This will reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure and insure
that the baby grows to term and is a healthy weight. Proper exercise during pregnancy reduces
backaches, constipation and bloating, helps the mother to sleep better and promotes muscle tone,
strength and endurance which is useful during labor and delivery (Edelstein and Sharlin, 2009).
Proper nutrition and exercise prevents maternal obesity increase the risks of pregnancy
complications such as gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. It also reduces the chance of
high birth weight in the baby which increases the risk of caesarian delivery.
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The 16 year old female should be able to eat a normal healthy diet for someone her age, but
because she is a teenager she must make sure that she is consuming at least 2200 calories a day
to accommodate her growth. Since she is a lacto ovo vegetarian and her main sources of protein
are cheese and peanut butter, I would recommend that she eat more beans, legumes and eggs in
order to assure that she is getting enough protein. I would also recommend that she replace those
cheese puffs and ice cream with healthy snacks such as nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables,
whole grains and yogurt.
The 40 year old female needs to increase her calorie intact by 500 calories per day. Because
she was eating a balanced diet during her pregnancy, she should continue to eat the same
nutrients that she ate then although she will need increase her vitamin A, thiamine, niacin,
choline, zinc and selenium while nursing (Edelstein and Sharlin, 2009). She will also need to
increase her fluid intake. I would suggest that she drink a glass of water every time she
breastfeeds (USDA, n.d.).
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References
Earhart, M. (2010, October 10). What are the nutritional needs of pregnant teens. Retrieved from
http://www.livestrong.com/article/275622-what-are-the-nutritional-needs-of-pregnant-teens/
Edelstein, S., & Sharlin, J. (2009). Life cycle nutrition, an evidence-based approach. Jones and
Barlett.
National Institute of Health. (n.d.). Body mass index table. Retrieved from
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.pdf
USDA. (n.d.). Nutritional needs while breastfeeding. Retrieved from
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/pregnancy-breastfeeding/breastfeeding-nurtitionalneeds.html
Walding, A. (2011, March 28). What are the risks of teenage pregnancy. Retrieved from
http://www.livestrong.com/article/113172-risks-teenage-pregnancy/