Relationship between the quality of the pregnant woman’s diet and birth weight: a prospective cohort study

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 75; no. 12; pp. 1819 - 1828
• Main Authors: Santos, Izabela da Silva, Crivellenti, Lívia Castro, Franco, Laércio Joel, Sartorelli, Daniela Saes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-12-2021; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/499; 692/700; Babies; Birth Weight; Birth weight, Low; Childbirth & labor; Children; Clinical Nutrition; Cohort analysis; Cohort Studies; Diet; Epidemiology; Female; Food and nutrition; Gestational age; Health aspects; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Small for Gestational Age; Infants; Internal Medicine; Low birth weight; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Neonates; Omega-3 fatty acids; Pregnancy; Pregnant Women; Prenatal influences; Prevention; Prospective Studies; Public Health; Regression analysis; Regression models; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Risk reduction; Small for gestational age; Brazil
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/s41430-021-00894-6

Background
Birth weight is a relevant predictor of childhood health outcomes. Studies investigating the association between modifiable risk factors, as the maternal diet quality, and birth weight are needed. We aimed to investigate the association between the Diet Quality Index Adapted for Pregnant Women (IQDAG) score and birth weight.
Methods
This is a prospective cohort that includes 547 Brazilian mother–child pairs. Dietary recalls and a food frequency questionnaire were obtained during pregnancy. Information on birth weight, sex, and gestation duration were obtained from the Live Birth Information System (SINASC).
Results
On total, 3.8% of the newborns were classified as low birth weight (LBW), 6.0% with macrosomia, 10.2% small for gestational age (SGA), and 11.2% large for gestational age (LGA). The mean (SD) IQDAG score was 70.1 (11.8). Adjusted logistic regression models showed that women in the third tertile of the IQDAG score presented a lower risk of having LGA babies [OR 0.44 (95% CI 0.22, 0.90), p-trend = 0.02] compared to the first tertile. Women in the third tertile of omega-3 intake presented a lower risk of giving birth to LGA infants [OR 0.33 (95% CI 0.15, 0.69), p-trend = 0.00] and LBW infants [OR 0.18 (95% CI 0.04, 0.83), p-trend = 0.02] when compared to the first tertile. There was also a lower SGA trend among the children of women in the third tertile of omega-3 intake [OR 0.43 (95% CI 0.17, 1.07), p-trend = 0.03] compared to the first tertile.
Conclusion
A better diet quality and higher omega-3 intake are protective factors for LGA babies, and increased maternal omega-3 intake reduce the risk of LBW and LGA, and may be a protective factor against the birth of SGA infants.