The Amount of Fluid Intake among Pregnant Women in China Increases with Pregnancy Progression: A Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Fluid intake and hydration status during pregnancy may have influences on maternal and infant health. However, few studies have recorded and analyzed total fluid intake (TFI) levels during the whole pregnancy. This study mainly aimed to investigate the TFI levels of pregnant women in three trimesters, and further to assess their hydration status. The relationships of TFI and hydration status were also analyzed. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit pregnant women from the Haikou Maternity and Child Health Hospital in China in this prospective cohort study. A 7-day 24 h fluid intake questionnaire was used for recording the fluid intake of the participants in their three trimesters. Fasting blood samples and first morning urine samples were also collected and tested. Hydration status was evaluated using urine osmolality. Finally, 142 pregnant women completed the study. The median TFIs in the first, second, and third trimesters were 1336, 1477, and 1584 mL, respectively. The TFI levels increased with pregnancy progression (χ2 = 134.155, p 2 = 29.840, p 2 = 29.909, p 1 and LFI2) and higher fluid intake (HFI1 and HFI2). As the TFI values increased from the LFI1 group to the HFI2 group, the urine osmolality decreased (all p p < 0.05). It is suggested that fluid intake strategies should be promoted and health education should be conducted to improve the hydration status of pregnant women.

Keywords

• fluid intake
• hydration status
• pregnant women
• prospective cohort study