COMMENT FROM POST

We use a nutritional assessment upon admission as well, in labor and delivery it is a huge issue among pregnant women.  We try to identify issues as early as we can, so physician’s and midwife’s use this tool in their office as well.  This can become a life-threatening problem because if they have mal-nutrition, their fetus is not getting the appropriate nutrients and may not develop appropriately and/or even worse, die.  If patients are diabetic, and they have not gotten the appropriate education on diets to follow, we will put through a dietician consult and follow up appropriately before they are discharged.  I find it interesting that all our laboring mothers are unable to obtain solid foods.  But, a study was shown that maternal glucose may potentially increase neonatal lactic acidosis.  Although it is found to be rare, the reason for not giving the patient solid food is the risk of aspiration (Berghella, Baxter, & Chauhan, 2008).

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