Dietary Fat and Fatty Acid Intake in Nulliparous Women: Associations with Preterm Birth and Distinctions by Maternal BMI

Maternal Preconception Omega-6, Omega-3, and Omega-6:Omega-3 Intake and Uterine Artery Indices in Mid-Gestation

OBJECTIVE

 Maternal preconception diet influences pregnancy health and fetal outcomes. We examined the relationship between preconception fatty acid (FA) intake and uterine artery indices in mid-gestation in a large, heterogeneous cohort of nulliparous individuals.

STUDY DESIGN

 This is a secondary analysis of the nuMom2b (Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-be) study. Dietary ω-6 and ω-3 FA intake was assessed with food frequency questionnaires and uterine artery indices were obtained via Doppler studies in the second trimester. For our primary outcome of pulsatility index (PI) > 1.6, we compared proportions by each dichotomous FA exposure and tested differences with chi-square test.

RESULTS

 For PI > 1.6, odds ratio for the unfavorable FA quartile compared with remaining quartiles for the exposures were 0.96 to 1.25, p = 0.157 (ω-6 FA); 0.97 to 1.26, p = 0.124 (ω-3 FA); 0.87 to 1.14, p = 1.00 (ω-6:ω-3 FA ratio).

CONCLUSION

 No significant associations between self-reported maternal preconception ω-6 and ω-3 FA intake and uterine artery Doppler indices measured during the second trimester were observed.

KEY POINTS

· Maternal diet impacts pregnancy health/fetal outcomes.. · ω-3 and ω-6 FA intake influences cardiovascular health.. · FA intake may affect blood flow to fetoplacental unit.. · Results are limited by inadequate adherence to dietary recommendations..

Effect of maternal diet on the frequency of micronuclei in pregnant women and newborns: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The effects of diet on maternal and child genetic levels have been previously reported. Diet-associated DNA damage, such as the presence of micronuclei (MN), may be related to an increased risk of developing chronic diseases, such as cancer. Such damage is particularly concerning during pregnancy as it can affect the newborn.

AIM

This review will aim to summarize the primary evidence of the impact of diet during pregnancy on micronucleus frequency in the maternal-newborn population.

METHODS

This protocol was developed based on the Preferred Reporting Items guidelines for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Protocol. The review was registered with the International Register of Prospective Systematic Reviews on February 17, 2022 (registration number: CRD42022302401). We will use PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Science direct, and Google databases to search for observational studies. This review will include studies that investigate the diet consumed by pregnant women and its effect on the frequency of MN in mothers and newborns without any time or language limitations. For data extraction, researchers will independently review the full text and collect information that characterizes the study and its findings. We will analyze the results by calculating the odds ratio for each type of diet evaluated, accompanied by a 95% confidence interval. We will perform a quantitative synthesis of homogeneous studies to perform a meta-analysis. Micronucleus frequency quantifies the effect and will be presented as the mean and standard deviation or median and interquartile range.

EXPECTED RESULTS

This review will aim to identify which dietary patterns during pregnancy may be associated with an increase in the frequency of MN in mothers and their newborns. Understanding the impact of diet on the frequency of MN is essential to deepen studies and to propose strategies that aim to protect the health of the public through food.

Association of maternal pre-pregnancy dietary intake with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies

This study aimed to summarize the evidence regarding the effects of dietary intake before conception on pregnancy outcomes by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Electronic databases were searched from inception up to August 2021. Overall, 65 studies involving 831 798 participants were included and 38 studies were quantitatively pooled. With regard to maternal outcomes, pre-pregnancy intake of fried food, fast food, red and processed meat, heme iron and a low-carbohydrate dietary pattern was positively associated with the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (all P < 0.05). However, a high dietary fiber intake and folic acid supplementation were negatively associated with GDM risk (both P < 0.05). With regard to neonatal outcomes, maternal caffeine intake before pregnancy significantly increased the risk of spontaneous abortion, while folic acid supplementation had protective effects on total adverse neonatal outcomes, preterm birth, and small-for-gestational age (SGA, all P < 0.05). However, no significant associations were found between adverse pregnancy outcomes (i.e., GDM and SGA) and the pre-pregnancy dietary intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, potato, fish, and carbohydrates and the Healthy Eating Index. Our study suggests that maintaining a healthy diet before conception has significant beneficial effects on pregnancy outcomes.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021.1989658.