The Dietary Inflammatory Index as a predictor of pregnancy outcomes: Systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: Journal of reproductive immunology Vol. 152; p. 103651
• Main Authors: de Freitas, Natércia Paula Alves, Carvalho, Thiago Ribeiro, Gonçalves, Cristiano César Rodrigues Augusto, da Silva, Pedro Henrique Alcântara, de Melo Romão, Lourena Guedes, Kwak-Kim, Joanne, Cavalcante, Marcelo Borges
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01-08-2022
• Subjects: Diet; Dietary Inflammatory Index; Nutrition; Pregnancy Outcomes; Diet; Nutrition; Dietary Inflammatory Index; Pregnancy Outcomes
• ISSN: 0165-0378; 1872-7603
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2022.103651

Unhealthy diets have been linked to low-grade chronic inflammation, a condition known to play a role in the pathophysiology of non-communicable diseases as well as pregnancy complications. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is a tool for evaluating the inflammatory potential of various diets. The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the current state of evidence on the use of DII as a predictor of pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women. This study was developed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PROSPERO, number CRD42021288966). DII was evaluated as a predictor of obstetric complications in observational studies. The search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Web of Science. Data from eligible studies were extracted independently by two reviewers. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. A total of eight studies were eligible for the review. In a meta-analysis of continuous and categorical variables, DII was a predictor of any obstetric complications [mean difference: 0.39, 95 %CI 0.02–0.75, (p = 0.04); and odds ratio: 1.24, 95 %CI 1.11–1.40, (p = 0.0002)]. High DII was associated with pregnancy complications, particularly preeclampsia/hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and preterm birth. The DII is a tool that can assist in the food and therapeutic planning of pregnant women with obstetric risks. Well-designed clinical trials are necessary, especially studies that focus on recurrent pregnancy losses and implantation failures.
•Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is an algorithm that evaluates the inflammatory potential of the overall diet.•High DII appears to increase the risk of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, preterm birth, and breastfeeding failure.•The DII is a tool that can aid in the dietary and therapeutic planning of pregnant women with obstetrical risks.