Determine Protein needs during pregnancy period?
Altogether, 925 g of protein are deposited in a normal foetus and maternal accessory tissues and considering the dietary protein quality (NPU=65), an increase of 15 g per day is recommended. This increase could be either through vegetarian sources such as pulses (soyabean), milk and milk products (cheese) or through more of meat/fish and eggs in the diet. This is based on the needs of the non-pregnant woman plus the extra amounts needed for growth. The physically active pregnant women and adolescent girls would however require more as compared to sedentary pregnant woman. The protein excess/supplements are not recommended as these were associated with an increased incidence of prematurity and enhanced incidence of neonatal death.
The rate at which new tissue is synthesized is not constant throughout gestation. Maternal and foetal growth accelerates in the second month and the rate progressively increases until just before term. Therefore, the need for protein follows this growth rate. It is important to ensure protein quality, as well as, quantity. Moreover, since protein utilization depends on calorie intake, it is important to ensure that calorie needs are fully met. When there is inadequate intake of energy, protein will be catabolized to meet energy need. Under such circumstances, it has been shown that extra 100 Kcal will have the same effect on nitrogen retention as an additional 0.28 g of nitrogen itself.