We compared dietary status and nutritional intake by pregestational body mass index (BMI) of women in early pregnancy, and examined the relationship with weight gain during pregnancy. A self-administered questionnaire survey and a dietary survey using the weighing method were conducted on ₁₀₈ pregnant women who underwent a health checkup in S City, Mie Prefecture. The results of ₈₁ participants were then analyzed. Those with underlying diseases and complications (₁₃), those who returned home to

more »

... give birth ("homecoming births") (₁₂), pregnancies that resulted in intrauterine fetal death (₁), and those who experienced miscarriages (₁) were excluded. The gestational weight gain, or the weight at the time of the final pregnancy checkup, was understood from the women's medical records, and weight gain during pregnancy was subtracted from their weight at the time of the final checkup. As a result, there was no significant difference in energy intake compared to pregestational BMI measurements. In addition, energy intake was below the EER (estimated energy requirement) in all BMI groups, indicating that the additional intake in the first trimester was insufficient. The weight increase of the women in the normal range (₁₈.₅ ≦ BMI < ₂₅ ㎏/m ₂ ) tended to be less than the recommended range for weight gain during pregnancy. The amounts of energy, protein, lipid, iron, zinc, and copper of these women were all significantly less than the women in the other groups, particularly their consumption of beans and meat. It was suggested that the maintenance of proper nutritional balance and the growth of the fetus in pregnant women require efforts to increase dietary intake and support for weight management during pregnancy.