high protien diet

[joanne]

Sarah

This is an interestng debate but I dont think we disagree all that much.

I understand the necessity of and agree with a good diet in pregnancy for many reasons.

I would argue that the rate of PE occurrence is not that different around the world but that the outcome is better here because of the medical treatement available. If you look at our advantages (drugs , scans, tests, surgery access, special care facilities) in the Western world our access to good emergency health care is what saves our lives rather than our diet. There would be many more deaths here if we only had health care facilities to the standard available to others less fortunate.



Jo



Jo 30
Sandy 33
Kit 31 weeks
EDD 12/28/03

[deerhart]

Actually occurance rate and mortality rate is much different. Mortality rate may be higher, but occurance rate isn't. But because better medical care is available in more developed countries, less woman and babies die from PE.
This does not mean that more third world woman suffer from PE then in countries like the US. The occurance rate in the us is about 10%, which is about the same occurance rate as almost every other country in the world (ranges from 8-10%).
Eclampsia rates by my first guess would be higher in third world countries then in more modern countries. This is because in places like the US Doctors try to deliver before a woman siezes and the medical intervention may lower this. But medical intervention does not change occurance rates.

Some doctors do inquire about your nutrition, it just depends on the doctor you have. Mine did discuss nutrient among other things with me, but better or worse nutrient would not have changed my outcome.

If PE was caused by malnutrition, you would expect rates to be much higher in the inner cities and some of the poor rural areas of the US, for woman on welfare etc.. But its not. Woman in affluent subarbs suffer it at the same rate as the inner city. Also, you would expect thrid world countries rates to be significantly higher but they aren't. So either the entire world nutritional gets the same thing or its not playing a large part of why woman get PE in most woman that suffer from it.
Sure nutrition may make a difference on whether a woman/baby dies from PE, but the numbers just don't add up to show that nutrition is what is causing PE.
Nutrition is important, but its important to your overall health and not necessarily to prevent PE.

Erin

Mommy to Alex and Mason

[deerhart]

Oh btw, doctors and midwives do not get into big discussions aobut nutrition because it could lead to malpractice suits. They are not necessarily trained in nutrition and what you should/shouldn't be eating. Plus there are many other factors that need to be taken into account when prescribing a diet, like other medical issues.
If your concerned about your diet, you should ask to be referred to a nutritionist as they have the training to set up an individualized diet plan for you that will meet your needs working around food likes/dislikes, any medical issues you need to deal with, etc..

Erin

Mommy to Alex and Mason

[annegarrett]

Just reiterating some basic facts as we know them based on frankly some pretty poor stats--even in the US they don't necessarily keep good stats:

TRUE preeclampsia (meaning hypertension after 20 weeks and proteinuria in a first pregnancy ONLY) occurs in about 3% of pregnancies (2.87%). This is important for research purposes and so we do not use that stat for occurrence rates.

About 10% of all pregnancies are complicated by hypertension with or without proteinuria.

5-8% of all pregnancies have preeclampsia (hypertension, proteinuria, during any pregnancy, with the hypertension occurring at any point in the pregnancy--so some doctors might call it "Gestational Hypertension Superimposed with Preeclampsia".

To the extent that your hypertension (pre-existing or gestational) is caused by poor diet or excessive body weight, you may be able to reduce your risk to that degree by reducing your weight through a proper diet prior to pregnancy. It is about the only "area" where we have any control over this disease and the control we have in that area is limited. We do encourage keeping your weight at a healthy level and eating well during pregnancy.

As for the international stats--unfortunately--the reason women and infants die of preeclampsia and eclampsia in countries like India is largely because of the following:

1) Access to Care: less than 10% of them receive ANY prenatal care at all. The World Health Organization LITERALLY recommends a woman get "at least" four prenatal visits. FOUR!
2) Access to Emergency Obstetrical Services: in India, in regions like Andra Pradesh, roughly the size of Texas, there are few (I think I heard four) anesthesiologists. It is pretty hard to have an emergency c-section when you can't get anesthesia.
3) The Value of Women's Lives: I was in India last year at a conference called "Saving Mother's Lives" where a midwife reported that there was a woman who was having eclamptic seizures and her husband would have to sell his farm to pay for her care. His family told him, "You can always get another wife--you cannot replace your farm."
4) Access to Magnesium Sulfate. Over HALF of the countries in the world do not have access to Magnesium Sulfate even though studies show it prevents eclampsia 50% of the time. In India--where they have access to magnesium--they do not use it because they are using Diazapam primarily. This is a sedative--basically you feel less pain as you die. Magnesium is cheap but not patentable. Diazepam has a drug company who will promote and even give it away. Magnesium is painful--if injected it is two LARGE syringes that hurt like h..ll. AND it is uncomfortable. How many times have we complained about it here? And if overused--it can kill a mother. It used to be used to euthanize animals in vetrinary hospitals--so it is not a benign drug--it requires training, access to IVs, and oversight.

I am sure malnutrition contributes to women's problems--but as Erin points out--the occurence rates are level across the board around the world--5-8%. The death rate is largely due to poverty and lack of care.

I have to say--when in India--I lived with a local family in a village and ate daal (lentils) and naan bread (flatbread) every single day--three times a day--for 13 days. I looked good. I lost weight. This diet is high in iron and protein and what most poor people live on. The preeclampsia rate is just the same in that village--but the death rate is much higher. I daresay the women in the US who live on McDonalds are getting a fair bit of protein.

Definitely nutrition is important and probably a factor--maybe THE factor for some women--but it isn't the whole picture.

FYI: These stats have been verified by the World Health Organization and have been quoted by the NYTimes, the BBC News and CNN. I think we are safe using them.



Anne Garrett
Executive Director
Preeclampsia Foundation

[annegarrett]

Just reiterating some basic facts as we know them based on frankly some pretty poor stats--even in the US they don't necessarily keep good stats:

TRUE preeclampsia (meaning hypertension after 20 weeks and proteinuria in a first pregnancy ONLY) occurs in about 3% of pregnancies (2.87%). This is important for research purposes and so we do not use that stat for occurrence rates.

About 10% of all pregnancies are complicated by hypertension with or without proteinuria.

For more information about death in pregnancy around the world--check out www.safemotherhood.org or Google "Safe Motherhood" or "Family Care International".



5-8% of all pregnancies have preeclampsia (hypertension, proteinuria, during any pregnancy, with the hypertension occurring at any point in the pregnancy--so some doctors might call it "Gestational Hypertension Superimposed with Preeclampsia".

To the extent that your hypertension (pre-existing or gestational) is caused by poor diet or excessive body weight, you may be able to reduce your risk to that degree by reducing your weight through a proper diet prior to pregnancy. It is about the only "area" where we have any control over this disease and the control we have in that area is limited. We do encourage keeping your weight at a healthy level and eating well during pregnancy.

As for the international stats--unfortunately--the reason women and infants die of preeclampsia and eclampsia in countries like India is largely because of the following:

1) Access to Care: less than 10% of them receive ANY prenatal care at all. The World Health Organization LITERALLY recommends a woman get "at least" four prenatal visits. FOUR!
2) Access to Emergency Obstetrical Services: in India, in regions like Andra Pradesh, roughly the size of Texas, there are few (I think I heard four) anesthesiologists. It is pretty hard to have an emergency c-section when you can't get anesthesia.
3) The Value of Women's Lives: I was in India last year at a conference called "Saving Mother's Lives" where a midwife reported that there was a woman who was having eclamptic seizures and her husband would have to sell his farm to pay for her care. His family told him, "You can always get another wife--you cannot replace your farm."
4) Access to Magnesium Sulfate. Over HALF of the countries in the world do not have access to Magnesium Sulfate even though studies show it prevents eclampsia 50% of the time. In India--where they have access to magnesium--they do not use it because they are using Diazapam primarily. This is a sedative--basically you feel less pain as you die. Magnesium is cheap but not patentable. Diazepam has a drug company who will promote and even give it away. Magnesium is painful--if injected it is two LARGE syringes that hurt like h..ll. AND it is uncomfortable. How many times have we complained about it here? And if overused--it can kill a mother. It used to be used to euthanize animals in vetrinary hospitals--so it is not a benign drug--it requires training, access to IVs, and oversight.

I am sure malnutrition contributes to women's problems--but as Erin points out--the occurence rates are level across the board around the world--5-8%. The death rate is largely due to poverty and lack of care.

I have to say--when in India--I lived with a local family in a village and ate daal (lentils) and naan bread (flatbread) every single day--three times a day--for 13 days. I looked good. I lost weight. This diet is high in iron and protein and what most poor people live on. The preeclampsia rate is just the same in that village--but the death rate is much higher. I daresay the women in the US who live on McDonalds are getting a fair bit of protein.

Definitely nutrition is important and probably a factor--maybe THE factor for some women--but it isn't the whole picture.

FYI: These stats have been verified by the World Health Organization and have been quoted by the NYTimes, the BBC News and CNN. I think we are safe using them.



Anne Garrett
Executive Director
Preeclampsia Foundation