title: Self-selected diets of lactating women often fail to meet dietary recommendations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess longitudinally nutrient intakes of lactating women during the postpartum period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dietary data from lactating women were collected by means of 2-day food records at 3 and 6 months postpartum. Intake of energy and selected nutrients was tabulated and compared with dietary standards.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 52 lactating women enrolled in the study lived in a university community, were apparently healthy, had a body mass index within normal range, were successfully nursing a term infant, and planned to nurse for at least 6 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paired t tests and Stuart-Maxwell chi(2) analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean energy intakes were below the Recommended Dietary Allowance. Mean intakes of most nutrients met or exceeded recommended standards except for zinc and vitamins D and E at both 3 and 6 months postpartum. Calcium and folate intakes were also below standards at 6 months. Although mean iron intake exceeded the standard at both measurement times, there was a significant decline from 3 to 6 months. Relative frequencies of mothers meeting various percentages of standards differed significantly from 3 to 6 months for calcium; iron; folate; and vitamins E, D, and B-6. At 6 months, significant increases were noted in the number of women reporting calcium, folate, and vitamin B-6 intakes at less than one half of the recommended amounts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Guidance for lactating women should stress food sources of nutrients likely to be limited in their diets: calcium; zinc; folate; and vitamins E, D, and B-6.
authors.affiliation: The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Mackey
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Picciano
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Smiciklas-Wright
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards; D015930:Diet Records; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D018673:Nutrition Policy