To evaluate the effects of nutritional intervention on puerperal dietary behavior and postpartum recovery in puerperae.

Totally 596 normal single uniparas who were pregnant for more than 28 weeks were selected and randomly divided into intervention (n=299) and control (n=297) groups. Patients in the intervention group received puerperal nutrition and healthcare knowledge training and individualized dietary guidance, while patients in the control group received routine puerperal nutrition and healthcare knowledge training. The intake of various food, recovery and complications during puerperium were compared between the two groups.

The intake of various food during puerperium in the intervention group was higher than that in the control group except for cereal grains and eggs (P<0.05) . The height of fundic uteri (7.2±3.2) cm, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score (2.64±1.10) and Body Mass Index (27.87±8.86) kg/m² in the intervention group was lower than those in the control group 6 weeks postpartum, and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05) . The morbidity of puerperal infection was 1.3% in the control group, while that in the intervention group was 6.4%, and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups (χ²=10.28, P<0.05) . The rate of breast feeding was 84.3% in the intervention group, while that in the control group was 76.1%, and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups (χ²=6.30, P<0.05) .

Nutritional intervention can enable puerperae to choose an appropriate dietary structure and method during puerperium, improve their puerperal dietary behavior, accelerate rapid postpartum recovery, reduce puerperal complications, and improve the rate of breastfeeding.

Puerpera; Puerperium; Nutritional intervention; Dietary behavior; Postpartum recovery