Effects of Dairy Foods on Adolescent Pregnant Mothers and Their Newborns

Effects of Dairy Foods on Adolescent Pregnant Mothers and Their Newborns

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effects of different dietary calcium have on the pregnant teen mother and her newborn. We hypothesize that the higher calcium intake during pregnancy will result in higher bone mass in the newborn.

Osteoporosis in the adult remains a significant public health problem. One of the major causes of osteoporosis is the inadequate calcium intake during the pediatric age range of birth to 20 years of age. We believe that this low calcium may start at birth since the fetus is actively accumulating calcium during the last trimester of pregnancy. Adolescents generally have poor calcium intake. Our study is to compare the newborn bone mass from adolescent mothers who are taking the recommended calcium intake from dairy foods or non-dairy foods such as orange juice during pregnancy.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant mothers aged 15 to 18 years, term gestation

Exclusion Criteria:

• Chronic disease such as hypertension, diabetes, medications that will affect calcium metabolism