Effect of nutritional supplementation in pregnancy. II. Effect on diet.

Women judged to be at high risk of delivering low-birth-weight infants were assigned to one of three supplements--high-protein beverage, low-protein beverage, or a vitamin-mineral preparation--to determine: (a) The acceptability of a liquid dietary supplement to pregnant women. (b) The effect of the dietary supplement on diets normally eaten by pregnant women. Acceptance of the high-protein beverage by the women in this study was low. Fifty per cent of the dropouts indicated a dislike for the beverage because of either poor flavor or an inability to tolerate it. The women generally consumed "adequate" diets, although there were variations. Increases in intakes of calories and protein in Group 1 were statistically significant, suggesting the high-protein beverage served as a supplement for both calories and protein; that is, these nutrients were added to the women's existing intake. For the low-protein beverage women (Group 2), statistics revealed the beverage was used as a substitute.