Additional calories required during pregnancy?

Appeared in: AIIMS Delhi NO - 2017

Explanation

Pregnancy requires an increased energy intake to support fetal growth, placental development, and expanded maternal tissues.
The additional caloric need is not significant in the first trimester but rises to approximately 340-450 kcal per day during the second and third trimesters.
An average of 300-350 kcal/day is the standard recommendation, making 300 Kcal the best answer among the choices.
This extra energy should be sourced from a balanced diet rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals, not just empty calories.

Option B: An additional 600 Kcal per day is excessive for a typical singleton pregnancy and could lead to complications like excessive weight gain and gestational diabetes.
Option C: An additional 100 Kcal is insufficient to meet the increased metabolic and growth demands of the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
Option D: Similar to 600 Kcal, an additional 500 Kcal per day is generally considered excessive for a standard singleton pregnancy.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Nutritional requirements during pregnancy as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Ensuring adequate caloric intake is crucial for preventing low birth weight (LBW) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
Nurses must counsel pregnant women on both the quantity and quality of food, emphasizing nutrient-dense choices to meet these caloric needs.
Excessive caloric intake can increase the risk of maternal obesity, gestational diabetes, macrosomia (large baby), and complications during delivery.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the core of the question: It asks for the standard recommended additional calories during pregnancy.
Recall that nutritional needs change throughout pregnancy. The first trimester has minimal additional needs, while the second and third trimesters require a significant increase.
Remember the commonly cited average increase for the latter half of pregnancy, which is around 300-350 kcal.
Compare this recalled value to the given options.
Select the option that most closely matches the standard recommendation. In this case, 300 Kcal is the standard textbook answer.
Mentally eliminate other options by recalling when they might be appropriate (e.g., 600 Kcal for lactation or twin pregnancy).

Concept Tested & Keywords

QNXaAzJEFffrm7XGb06O7H

E6 Obstetrics Williams p. 79-93

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. 86-88

Practise the full AIIMS Delhi NO - 2017

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.