According to Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), how many additional kilocalories per day are required for a lactating woman between 0 to 6 months?

1. A
   • 500
2. B
   • 600
3. C
   • 350
4. D
   • 520

Appeared in: NHM UP Staff Nurse-2023 Shift-2nd

Explanation

• According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR, 2020) guidelines, the recommended additional energy allowance for a lactating woman during the first 0-6 months is +600 kcal/day.
• This increased energy intake is necessary to support the high metabolic demands of producing an average of 750-850 mL of breast milk daily.
• Meeting this requirement is crucial for maintaining the mother's health, preventing nutritional depletion, and ensuring the infant receives adequate nutrition for optimal growth and development.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: This value underestimates the significant energy expenditure required for exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months as per standard RDA guidelines.
• Option C: This is the additional calorie requirement for a different physiological state.
• Option D: This is the additional calorie requirement for a later stage of lactation.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for lactation as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
• Nurses play a vital role in educating new mothers about their increased nutritional needs to prevent maternal depletion and ensure an adequate milk supply for the infant.
• Inadequate calorie and nutrient intake during lactation can lead to maternal fatigue, weight loss, reduced milk volume, and may compromise the nutritional quality of breast milk, impacting infant growth.
• What if? If a mother is breastfeeding twins, her energy requirement would be substantially higher, often needing an increase of more than 1000 kcal/day. She would require intensive dietary counseling and monitoring to meet these demands.

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify the key components of the question: the population ('lactating woman'), the specific time frame ('0 to 6 months'), and the value being asked for ('additional kilocalories').
• This is a factual recall question based on established nutritional guidelines (RDA/ICMR).
• Recall the specific energy requirements for different physiological states: pregnancy, early lactation, and later lactation.
• Compare the recalled value for the 0-6 month lactation period with the given options.
• Select the option that exactly matches the recommended dietary allowance, which is +600 kcal/day.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for lactation
• Stem keywords: Recommended Dietary Allowances, RDA, additional kilocalories, lactating woman, 0 to 6 months
• Lead-in keywords: how many

Question ID

QAgOfAtxop8N7HzDNzWzM9

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 168-170

E6 Nutrition Kumud Khanna 2e p. 103-105