Effect of a Low-Glycemic-Index Diet during Pregnancy by R.Moses - Article Example

Towards the end, only sixty-two women completed the study. Considerably, this figure is statistically significant since this is composed of pregnant women at that time. In fact, the sample size is one of the strengths of this study which contributes to the studies’ reliability.Since obstetrics outcomes are the parameters for evaluation of the results, pregnant females were obviously used for this study. Considerations for inclusion in the study are the following: aged 21–40 y, had a singleton pregnancy, were between 12 and 16wk.

gestation, were nonsmokers, and had no more than 1 alcoholic drink each day. All participants must fit into these requirements. Consent was properly sought before conducting the baseline trial. The study was done 5 times between 16 weeks gestation and delivery. Considerably, it is a long period of time since the women’s pregnancy was completely monitored until the time they gave birth. The whole study lasted for about 6 months since the women were at least 3 months pregnant at the time the study was conducted.

Fetal size is the indicator in the principal findings, thus this meant that the study continued until the time the women gave birth. The study’s primary aim “ was to assess the effects of inclusion of high- or low-GI carbohydrate-rich foods on the outcomes of pregnancy. For this purpose, the principal findings were indicators of fetal size”. In fact, the article mentioned that two studies on glucose-intolerant women were done before but gave conflicting findings. This is the first study that focused on a low GI diet on pregnant women.

The aim of this study is to emphasize that pregnant women who had a high-glycemic-index diet gave birth to bigger babies. However, it was mentioned in the limitation of the study that similar studies or tests must be done on a larger group of participants that are healthy pregnant women. Nevertheless, the article argued that this had strengths like large sample size, high compliance, and high continuation rate. These are contributory factors in increasing the reliability of the study. Another plus point of this study is the researchers' capability to determine the GI Index of Australian foods.

Therefore, the results of glycemic testing fit the participant’s nutritional intake very well.According to the author, this is the result ( p.810):In summary, infants of women instructed to consume low-GI carbohydrate foods during pregnancy were of normal size but were smaller and had less body fat than did the women whose dietary GI did not change during pregnancy. Because birth weight and ponderal index predict long-term risk of obesity and chronic disease (26), a low-GI diet in pregnancy may favorably influence long-term outcomes.

The study showed a correlation between the consumption of low-GI and low birth weight but does not explicitly establish causation.Because of these results, the study is beneficial since medical professionals can use this information in counseling pregnant women. It was noted in the study that low levels of maternal glucose are related to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Thus, the study could also be part of a campaign in raising awareness of healthy eating during pregnancy. Thus, the study can also be considered reliable.

It is a fact that nutrition is important for pregnant women. Mortality rates among pregnant women in underdeveloped countries are high. Studies like these can be tested in developing countries which could prove beneficial to the maternal population.