임신(姙娠) 후반기(後半期) 임부(姙婦)의 임신중(姙娠中) 식품기호(食品嗜好)의 변화(變化) 및 이식증(異食症)의 실행(實行)

Changes of the food Preferences and the Practices of Pica of Women in the Latter Half of Pregnancy

To know changes of the food preferences and the practice of pica during pregnancy, ninety two women in the latter half of pregnancy were interviewed in April, 1976 at ten medical centers in Seoul. They were average 27.1 years old, and mostly middle class. 83.7% of the total subjects felt the changes of food preferences due to pregnancy within the first trimester. 60.9% had vomiting as well as losing their appetite and 17.3% vomited three or more times daily which might induce difficulties of water and electrolytes balance in body. The preferences about foods, the taste of foods, and various dishes cooked during morning sickness were changed significantly and showed in lower scores of likes and higher scores of dislikes than those before pregnancy. Particularly, cooked rice and kimchi indicated the increase of more than 50% in dislikes. The preferences after the morning sickness were turned back to those before pregnancy. Desire for water through foods like soft drinks, juice, ice cream, and gamju and salty foods seemed to be spontaneous during pregnancy. A majority of the subjects had three meals and no snack had included more snacks instead of meals during losing appetite and thereafter, had more frequent meals and snacks. Superstitions about chicken, squid, and cuttlefish for pregnant women were prevalent. 11.9% tabooed chicken because of harm for fetus. On the contrary, intended higher inclusions of milk, meat and dried small sardines would be helpful to satisfy the increased recommended allowances of calcium and protein for them. The practice of pica was found in 5.4% and rice was the only real item mentioned. Pica such as amylophagia or geophagia often reported in the U.S. was not answered in this study.