Assessment Of The Relationship Between Maternal Dietary Patterns During Pregnancy And Its Outcomes In Infants

Pregnancy is a critical period for the offspring’s metabolic development. Nutrition during pregnancy due to its role in the development of mental and physical abilities in infants is important .The current study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy and its outcomes in infants in Urmia city.

In this cross-sectional study, 410 pregnant women referred to health centers in Uremia were selected by cluster random sampling. Food information was collected using the validated 147-items Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). The demographic information of mothers was collected by interview. Factor analysis was used to identify the major dietary patterns.

In this study, three main dietary patterns were identified and named the first, second, and third groups. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the Low Birth Weight (LBW) and Preterm Birth (PTB) increased with adherence to the first dietary pattern (LBW: OR = 1.15, PTB: OR=1.05), while the risk of Small for Gestational Age (SGA), (OR=0.89), and Large for Gestational Age (LGA), (OR = 0.8) decreased in this pattern. The second dietary pattern was inversely associated with LBW (OR = 0.73) and LGA (OR = 0.83), While it was positively associated with PTB (OR = 1.26) and SGA (OR = 1.04). The third dietary pattern was inversely associated with all the above outcomes and this difference was significant for LGA (OR=0.68). 

The present study showed a relationship between LBW, SGA, PTB, LGA indices, and maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy. Prospective studies have been suggested to confirm these findings.