Abstract
This study was projected to provide basic data on prenatal care for future direction in maternity and child care, and also to investigate the diet of women during pregnancy and the period directly afterwards in order to offer to mothers appropriate advice for the improvement of nutritional standards. A clinical study on prenatal care was based on 1054 delivery cases. A nutritional survey was performed on 174 mothers admitted to the department of obstetrics at St. Mary's Hospital during the period of March, 1975 to February, 1976. The results obtained are summarized as follows; I. Clinical study on prenatal care 1) The age distribution showed 59.4% of the mothers were between the ages of 25 to 29 years old. 2) The gestational period was highest between the 37th and 40th gestational weeks. 33.7% of the mothers were primigravidae and 31.8% of them primiparae. 3) 41.3% of the mothers had not received prenatal care or had only received it once before. 4) Induced deliveries were 61.8% and spontantaneous deliveries 38.2%. 61.9% of the mothers had received prenatal care, while those without prenatal care accounted for 61.6% of the total induced deliveries. 5) Low birth weights were 7.7% and 5.0% of the mothers had received prenatal care, while 11.5% had no prenatal care. 6) There were 1.13% of still births, 0.32% of the mothers had prenatal care and the remainder did not have prenatal care. 7) Of those receiving prenatal care, 2.1% showed in the $0{\sim}3$ Apgar score group, 6.3% in the $4{\sim}6$ Apgar score group, and 91.6% in the $7{\sim}10$ Apgar score group. Among the non-prenatally cared for group 5.0% of the newborns were in the $0{\sim}3$ Apgar score group, 9.7% were in $4{\sim}6$ Apgar score group and 85.3% were in the $7{\sim}10$ Apgar score group. 8) Obstetrical complications were developed in 11.86% of the pregnant women when they were hospitalized. Among the group receiving the prenatal care 8.1% of the mothers had obstetrical complications. In the group without prenatal care 17.16% of the mothers had obstetrical complications. The most common obstetrical complication was malpresentation. 9) The first prenatal care was received between the 37th and 40th gestationl weeks. II. Food intake during pregnancy The following are the results from the questionnaires of the mothers concerning diets during pregnancy; 1) Main meals and snacks In 32.2% of the cases, their main meals during the diet amounted to more than was usually eaten at other times. In 67.8% of the cases, their main meals during the diet were the same as that usually eaten. In 22.4% of the cases, snacks during the diet amounted to more than usually eaten at other times. In 77.6% of the cases, snacks during the diet were the same as usually eaten. 2) Itemized list The mothers made a special effort to include certain items in their diets, the following is a breakdown of those items; a. egg, meat, fish 33.3% b. fruit, vegetables 32.2%. c. milk, fruit juice 18.4% d. cake, bread 2.9% e. nothing special 13.2% 3) Milk 44.8% of the mothers had at least one cup of milk everyday. 33.4% of the mothers had at least one cup of milk on occasion. 15.5% of the mothers did not have any milk. 4) Vitamins 39.7% of the mothers had vitamins everyday. 24.7% of the mothers had vitamins occasionally. 35.6% of the mothers did not have any vitamins. 5) Anemic symptoms 9.2% of the mothers very often had anemic symptoms during pregnancy. 39.1% of the mothers often had anemic symptoms during pregnancy. 51.7% of the mothers did not have anemic symptoms at all. 6) Taboos on food 23% of the mothers recognized 'taboos' on food during pregnancy 27% of the mothers displayed on uncertainty about the 'taboos' on food during pregnancy 50% of the mothers displayed indifference toward the taboos. III. Nutritional survey on the new mothers diet. 1) The diets for new mothers can be divided into four categories, such as general diet, low sodium diet, soft diet and liquid diet. 2) Cooked rice and seaweed soup were the main foods for the new mothers as has been the traditional diet for Korean mothers. 3) The average diet contained 1,783g. And the average consumption of the basic food groups per capita per day was 1,265g for cereals and grains, 456g for meats and legumes, 58g for fruits and vegetables, 0g for milk and fish and 4g for fats and oils. 4) In addition to the 1,783g of food in the main diet there was also 142.8g of food taken as snacks. 5) The average daily consumption of calories and nutrients was 2,697 Kcal and 123.4g for proteins, 44.9g for fats, 718.2mg for calcium, 14mg for iron, 2,101.4 I.U. for vitamin A, 0.43mg for thiamine, 1.02mg for riboflavin, 15.88mg for niacin, 5.26mg for ascorbic acid. When these figures are compared with the recommended allowances for new mothers in Korea, the calories and nutrients taken in were satisfactory. But the intake of minerals and vitamins was below the recommended allowance.
(Nursing Department, Catholic Medical College)