36.27% of pregnant women aged 35 or older...High sodium intake and lack of some essential nutrients
Jun 09, 2025
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As of 2023, the average age of childbirth in Korea was 33.64 years old, and the number of births by pregnant women aged 35 or older continues to increase to about 36.27% of all births. This is an increase of 4.5 percentage points from 2018.
In this regard, the researchers surveyed 538 pregnant women aged 35 or older in Korea on the type, quantity, food ingredients, and eating habits of food eaten during one weekday and one weekend.
As a result of the survey, the daily sodium intake of the survey subjects was 3038mg, accounting for 132.1% of the 2300mg intake standard to prevent the risk of chronic diseases. The frequency of eating foods with high sodium content such as soup and stew, kimchi, and ramen was high.
On the other hand, the average daily intake of vitamin B6 was 0.15mg, which was only 3.8% of the recommended amount of 2.2mg. Vitamin D was 1.61 μg, 16.1% of the standard amount, and folate was 201.1 μg, 32.4%.
In particular, compared to the current status of non-aged pregnant women's nutrient intake in previous studies, elderly pregnant women who were the subjects of this study tended to consume more sodium and less vitamin D and folate than non-aged pregnant women. The researchers emphasized that such nutrient deficiencies in elderly pregnant women can negatively affect the health of pregnant women and fetuses, and that health education during pregnancy, such as nutrition intake, is necessary.
Excessive sodium intake should be careful because it can lead to gestational hypertension, preeclampsia known as 'pregnant poisoning' (hypertension after 20 weeks of pregnancy, proteinuria, etc.). In addition, vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women has been reported to increase the risk of gestational hypertension and is also associated with delayed fetal growth, neonatal hypocalcemia, and congenital rickets. Women who have experienced gestational hypertension have an increased risk of high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease in the future, requiring regular management even after childbirth.
Folic acid also plays an important role in DNA synthesis and cell division and must be ingested essential for fetal nerve development. Vitamin B6, which is high in spinach, reduces the risk of birth defects in the fetus when consumed in an appropriate amount, and vitamin B6 deficiency is known to be associated with premature birth or low birth weight.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
