Midwives' knowledge of nutrition in pregnancy

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess midwives' knowledge of nutrition in pregnancy. The objectives were to identify midwives' knowledge of nutrients in pregnancy; the role of nutrients in pregnancy; the complications resulting from malnutrition in pregnancy and the role to promote healthy nutrition during pregnancy. The data was collected by means of a self-administered structured questionnaire which was distributed to 25 midwives of various midwifery qualifications from the different midwifery sites in one government hospital of Malta. Midwives' knowledge was found to be satisfactory in some aspects such as complications of malnutrition in pregnancy and lacking in other aspects, for example, in essential nutrients in the diet of a pregnant mother. The results indicate that midwives' knowledge of nutrition in pregnancy needs to be improved. Ongoing and post-graduate midwifery educational programmes should incorporate in depth nutritional instruction to include all aspects such as age, culture, beliefs and ethnic background. One of the main limitations is that statistical analysis to examine whether the different types of qualification (certificate, diploma and degree) in midwifery increase or decrease knowledge of nutrition in pregnancy was not possible due to small numbers. Educational programmes should be made available to as many midwives as possible and need to be well planned and evaluated to ensure their effectiveness.