A groundbreaking study from Stevens Institute of Technology has revealed that over 90% of pregnant individuals may not be meeting their nutritional needs through diet alone. Published in The Journal of Nutrition, the research highlights significant shortfalls in essential nutrients, with iron, vitamin D, and vitamin E being the most commonly deficient. Alarmingly, nearly two-thirds of participants were found to have inadequate dietary folate—a critical nutrient for preventing birth defects in the brain and spine.
While many pregnant people take prenatal supplements to offset potential deficiencies, lead researcher Dr. Samantha Kleinberg cautions that these findings underscore the need for a closer look at maternal nutrition. “This is a startling finding that suggests we need to be much more vigilant about ensuring pregnant individuals get the nutrients they need,” Kleinberg says.
Unlike prior studies relying on short food diaries or self-reported data, this study employed an innovative photo-based approach. Participants took before-and-after pictures of everything they ate over two 14-day periods. This allowed researchers to accurately assess portion sizes, meal patterns, and nutritional intake. “People often misestimate what they eat,” Kleinberg explains. “Using photos gives us a much more precise picture of their actual diet.”
The study also found significant variations in eating habits—not only between individuals but even within the same person on different days. This variability suggests that shorter studies or population averages may obscure important deficits. “If you just look at averages, it can seem like everything’s fine,” Kleinberg notes. “But when you dig deeper, it’s clear that many pregnant people aren’t getting the nutrients they need.”
Timing also played a role: participants who ate later in the day tended to consume more calories overall. While this finding doesn’t yet link excessive energy intake to health outcomes like gestational diabetes, it opens the door for further exploration. “We’ll be investigating potential connections between eating patterns, glucose tolerance, and maternal health in future studies,” says Kleinberg.
The team is now working to automate the analysis of food photos using large language models to streamline data collection and improve accuracy. “Currently, we have to ask participants follow-up questions—like what kind of meat was in their sandwich or whether their coffee had sugar,” Kleinberg explains. “By automating this, we can capture data more easily and get a clearer picture of how pregnant people are actually eating.”
This research not only sheds light on widespread nutritional gaps during pregnancy but also underscores the need for better tools and strategies to ensure both mothers and babies receive the nutrients they need for optimal health.
