A new study has revealed that a large proportion of lactating women in Norway with overweight or obesity are failing to meet essential nutritional requirements during the early postpartum period. The findings raise concerns about the health implications for both mothers and their breastfed infants, as well as the level of nutritional guidance available in postnatal care.
The research, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, analysed the dietary habits of 112 women in Oslo at seven weeks postpartum. All participants had a pre-pregnancy BMI ranging from 25 to 35 and were part of a trial focusing on weight loss and breastfeeding promotion. Using a four-day dietary record and supplement intake reports, the study compared their nutritional intake against the updated 2023 Nordic Nutrition Recommendations for lactating women.
The results were striking. More than 90% of the women had intakes below the average requirement for vitamin A and folate, while 84% fell short on vitamin D. Additionally, most were not consuming enough selenium or iodine. These micronutrients are critical for both maternal health and infant development, particularly during breastfeeding when maternal demand increases significantly.
Despite the use of dietary supplements by two-thirds of the women, including multivitamins and fish oil, the study found that more than half continued to have inadequate intake of key nutrients such as vitamin A, folate and selenium. When relying on food sources alone, the gaps in intake were even more pronounced.
The women’s diets were also found to be high in saturated fat and low in fibre, carbohydrate and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an important omega-3 fatty acid essential for infant brain development. Less than half met the DHA recommendation of 200mg per day from their diet. Even when supplements were considered, nearly one in three still failed to reach this level.
The study also highlighted that 24% of energy intake was underreported, a common issue in dietary assessments. However, even after adjusting for this underreporting, the majority of women still consumed nutrient levels below what is considered adequate.
Researchers emphasised that although these mothers were highly educated and more likely to follow health guidance, their nutrient intake still fell short. This suggests that the broader population of postpartum women in Norway may be at even greater nutritional risk.
The authors pointed out that public health messaging often neglects the nutritional needs of mothers during the postpartum period. While breastfeeding is widely promoted, there is less focus on helping mothers meet the increased demands for micronutrients during lactation. The Norwegian dietary guidelines currently recommend vitamin D supplementation but give limited emphasis to the importance of vitamin A, iodine and selenium intake during breastfeeding.
The study underscores the need for more comprehensive dietary support for new mothers. It calls for better integration of maternal nutrition into postnatal care and clearer public health guidance to help women meet the specific demands of lactation through food-based sources and appropriate supplementation.
