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Medical Nutrition Therapy Program

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is a nutrition and education program for pregnant women with diabetes. A high prevalence of diabetes in pregnancy is associated with a high rate of maternal and neonatal hospitalizations related to diabetes. The MNT program consists of individual nutrition counseling with an intensive education component. The program includes a nutrition assessment, nutrition intervention, and glucose self-monitoring. Counseling and individual nutrition assessments and recommendations are made by dietitians who work with the pregnant women on a weekly basis.

Goal / Mission

The goal of the Medical Nutrition Therapy program is to decrease perinatal complications in pregnant women with type 2 Diabetes in Mexico City.

Results / Accomplishments

The program was evaluated using a quasi-experimental design. Women were assigned to either an MNT program or a control group. Women in the MNT group had a lower risk of preeclampsia, fewer maternal hospitalizations due to uncontrolled hyperglycemia (p<0.001), and neonatal deaths in women with both types of diabetes (p=0.001) compared to the control group. Neonatal death risk reduction attributed to the MNT program was 6.4% in women with type 2 diabetes and 5.1% in women with gestational diabetes.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Instituto Nacional de Perinatología
Primary Contact
Otilia Perichart-Perera
Public Health Research Branch-Research Direction
Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los
Reyes, Montes Urales 800, Lomas de Virreyes 11000,
Mexico City, Mexico
o.perichart@servidor.inper.edu.mx
Topics
Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health
Health / Physical Activity
Health / Diabetes
Organization(s)
Instituto Nacional de Perinatología
Date of publication
2009
Location
Mexico
For more details
Target Audience
Women, Racial/Ethnic Minorities