Nutrition in Multiple Pregnancy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Nutrition in Multiple Pregnancy: a prospective study of dietary intake, weight changes and the nutrition-related experiences of mothers expecting more than one baby.
IRAS ID
246636
Contact name
Julie Abayomi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Liverpool John Moores University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
More than twelve thousand women had a multiple birth in the UK during 2016, comprising 11,949 sets of twins, 185 triplet sets, plus five births with four or more babies. In comparison to a singleton pregnancy, multiple pregnancies carry increased health risks for both mother and babies. Pregnant women are known to have higher requirements for some nutrients than non-pregnant women, but in the UK there is an absence of dietary guidance specific to multiple pregnancies and further research has been recommended.
We plan to undertake a prospective study of women attending the Multiple Pregnancy Clinic at Liverpool Women's Hospital. We will seek informed consent to enrol women to a study where we will assess their dietary intake in the second trimester using a 4 day food diary completed by the women plus a 24 hour recall of food intake at 28 weeks of pregnancy. We will weigh the participants when they attend clinic appointments to assess weight changes during the pregnancy. Additionally we will use questionnaires to enquire about the occurrence of symptoms which may relate to food intake such as nausea/vomiting, constipation, heartburn, anaemia, gestational diabetes and fatigue. We will also enquire about changes in appetite, food preferences/cravings, sources and preferences for nutrition information. Three months after birth we will contact participants to ask about post-pregnancy weight retention, mode of infant feeding and their experience of participating in the study. Using data routinely collected at the hospital we plan to examine for evidence of any association between the nutrition status of the mother and the outcome of the pregnancy. The study will inform our understanding concerning the nutrition related experiences of women with a multiple pregnancy and provide evidence which will enable us to consider what nutrition advice may be beneficial for this population.REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EM/0064
Date of REC Opinion
14 Mar 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion