title: [Evaluation of the prenatal nutritional care process in seven family health units in the city of Rio de Janeiro].
abstract: Nutritional care is of great importance in the prenatal period and the family health teams play a significant role in expanding the coverage of prenatal care. In this manner, the scope of this study was to evaluate the prenatal nutritional care process in seven family health units in the city of Rio de Janeiro. In 2008, a cross-sectional study was conducted and 230 pregnant women were interviewed and copies of their prenatal cards were obtained. The compliance of the process with the pre-established norms and criteria of the Ministry of Health was evaluated. Measurement and recording of blood pressure and weight and prescription of supplements and blood tests on the prenatal card are established steps in routine prenatal care. However, the results indicated that there was under-recording of stature, initial weight, edema, BMI by gestational age and laboratory tests results on the prenatal card. A lack of specific instruction on adequate use of the iron supplement, food consumption and weight gain was observed. The results indicated a pressing need for prenatal nutritional care and revealed deficiencies in this process, stressing the importance of minimum training for the health teams and the implementation of Family Health Support Centers.
authors.affiliation: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. robertaniquini@gmail.com
authors.forename: Roberta Pereira
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Niquini
authors.forename: Sonia Azevedo
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
authors.forename: Elisa Maria de Aquino
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lacerda
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: Maria do Carmo
authors.initials: Mdo C
authors.lastname: Leal
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D014504:Urban Health; D055815:Young Adult