A decrease in diet quality occurs during pregnancy in overweight and obese women which is maintained post-partum

Background: Ensuring adequate dietary intake during pregnancy has important implications for optimising maternal and fetal health. It is not known whether diet quality is altered over pregnancy and the post-partum period. Objective: The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive assessment of diet quality in overweight and obese women during pregnancy and early post-partum. Design: In a prospective cohort study, n =301 overweight or obese pregnant women completed a food frequency questionnaire at study entry (10–20 weeks gestation), 28 weeks gestation, 36 weeks gestation and 4 months post-partum for assessment of macronutrient and micronutrient intake and diet quality by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Results: Energy, macronutrient and dietary sources of micronutrients did not alter across pregnancy or post-partum. The HEI was of below average quality in 31.0% of women at baseline. This decreased from week 28 ( P