Determining Dietary Phenylalanine Requirements during Different Stages of Gestation in Healthy Pregnant Women
Principal Investigator: Dr. Rajavel Elango
Primary Contact: Madeleine Ennis, Graduate Student, 604-875-2000 x 4607
About the study: PHENYLALANINE-REQ-PREGNANCY is trying to determine the amount of dietary phenylalanine required by women during pregnancy to ensure healthy development of their baby. Pregnancy is a critical time that necessitates sufficient nutrition to ensure healthy development of both the mother and the baby. Amino acids such as phenylalanine are the building blocks of protein, which are used to create body tissue and support the immune system. Phenylalanine must be obtained through the diet, and the requirements during pregnancy are not currently determined. Inadequate protein and amino acid consumption during pregnancy has been linked to future risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and other metabolic problems in the baby. Therefore, it is important to determine how much phenylalanine should be consumed during pregnancy.
Study status: Recruiting
Who can participate:
Women who are:
20-40 years of age
pregnant with a single child
between 13-19 weeks of gestation or 33-39 weeks of gestation
free of chronic diseases/acute diseases, and have a full range of physical mobility
Co-Investigator: Dr. Ken Lim
Funded by: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Consent Form: consent-form-for-participant