Yeni Doğum Yapmış Kadınların (0-6 Ay Arası) Nutrisyonel Risk Değerlendirmesi ve Bebek Gelişimleri: Aile Sağlığı Merkezi Örneği

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the nutritional status of mothers in the postpartum period and to consider this situation above the developmental conditions of the babies.Methods: This prospective, follow-up–based (longitudinal) observational study was conducted with postpartum women and their infants registered at four family medicine units of Şehit Er Enver Erdoğan Family Health Center (FHC).

A total of 49 postpartum women were registered at the FHC, and the study was completed with 45 participants who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using a “Data Collection Form” including demographic characteristics, perinatal history, maternal nutritional status, and infant developmental parameters, as well as the “NRS-2002” assessment tool.

For each mother–infant pair, a total of six follow-ups were planned, including a baseline assessment (the first postpartum week) followed by monthly visits. Changes in maternal nutritional risk scores and infant growth parameters were evaluated longitudinally.Findings: Assessments conducted using the NRS-2002 scale revealed that 15% of the participating mothers had a moderate level of nutritional risk, while 4% had a high level of nutritional risk.

Maternal nutritional status was found to be significantly associated with age (p<0.05), educational level (p<0.01), body mass index (BMI) (p<0.001), parity (p<0.05), and infant feeding patterns. Infants of mothers in the low nutritional risk group demonstrated significantly better outcomes in terms of length/height (p<0.01), body weight (p<0.001), and head circumference (p<0.05) measurements compared to those in the high-risk group.

Longitudinal data indicated statistically significant correlations between maternal nutritional status and infant growth parameters, particularly from the second postpartum month onward (p<0.05).Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the nutritional profile of mothers in the postpartum period is closely associated with infant development.

The findings indicate that planning and implementing nutritional screening and support programs in Family Health Centers (FHCs) may contribute to the protection and promotion of maternal and infant health.