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Maternal diet quality during pregnancy and fetal growth outcomes: a pilot study of lower‐income pregnant women
Author(s) -
Leung Cindy W,
Epel Elissa S,
Bush Nicole R,
ColemanPhox Kimberly,
Adler Nancy E,
Laraia Barbara A
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.671.20
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , overweight , birth weight , obesity , obstetrics , weight gain , body mass index , demography , body weight , endocrinology , biology , genetics , sociology
The effect of a healthy diet during pregnancy may have a stronger impact on pregnancy and birth outcomes and more public health relevance than the examination of any individual dietary component alone. The objective of our study was to examine the associations between overall diet quality during pregnancy, using a modified Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEIP)‐2010 for pregnancy, and fetal growth outcomes in a sample of 91 lower‐income, racially and ethnically diverse, overweight and obese pregnant women enrolled in an 8‐week behavioral intervention program in early pregnancy. Outcomes included birth length, weight, and weight‐for‐length Z‐scores estimated using WHO Child Growth Standards. Out of 110 points, the mean AHEIP‐2010 score in our sample was 44.8 ± 0.9. Adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics, infants born to women in the top tertile of AHEIP‐2010 had higher birth weight Z‐scores (β=0.79, 95% CI 0.31, 1.27, P‐trend=0.002 ) and higher birth length Z‐scores (β=1.17, 95% CI 0.04, 2.29, P‐trend=0.05 ) compared to the bottom tertile. Associations with birth weight were associated with higher intakes fruit, whole grains, and long‐chain fats, and lower intakes sugar‐sweetened beverages and fruit juice, and red/processed meat. Overall dietary quality during pregnancy, encompassing multiple healthful behaviors, was positively associated with infant birth weight and length, but not infant adiposity as measured by weight‐for‐length. Support or Funding Information This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health grants (U01 HL097973 and K99 HD084758 to C.W. Leung).