Abstract
A prenatal diet affects materno-foetal outcomes. This is a post hoc analysis of the St. Carlos gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) Prevention Study. It aims to evaluate the effect of a late first-trimester (>12 gestational weeks) degree of adherence to a MedDiet pattern—based on six food targets—on a composite of materno-foetal outcomes (CMFCs). The CMFCs were defined as having emergency C-section, perineal trauma, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, prematurity, large-for-gestational-age, and/or small-for-gestational-age. A total of 874 women were stratified into three groups according to late first-trimester compliance with six food targets: >12 servings/week of vegetables, >12 servings/week of fruits, <2 servings/week of juice, >3 servings/week of nuts, >6 days/week consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and ≥40 mL/day of EVOO. High adherence was defined as complying with 5–6 targets; moderate adherence 2–4 targets; low adherence 0–1 targets. There was a linear association between high, moderate, and low adherence, and a lower risk of GDM, CMFCs, urinary tract infections (UTI), prematurity, and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) newborns (all p < 0.05). The odds ratios (95% CI) for GDM and CMFCs in women with a high adherence were 0.35((0.18–0.67), p = 0.002) and 0.23((0.11–0.48), p < 0.001), respectively. Late first-trimester high adherence to the predefined six food targets is associated with a reduction in the risk of GDM, CMFCs, UTI, prematurity, and SGA new-borns.
Highlights
The prenatal period is a critical moment in the development of diseases in mothers and their offspring
A recent randomized controlled trial analyzed by the intention-to-treat approach, found that the adherence to a Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet), supplemented with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and pistachios, was associated with a 30% reduction in the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) [12]
The primary endpoint was to compare the effects of two different types of diet—a standard diet versus a MedDiet supplemented with EVOO and pistachios—on the incidence of GDM diagnosed at 24–28 gestational weeks (GWs) in women who were normoglycemic on their first gestational visit (8–12 GWs)
Summary
The prenatal period is a critical moment in the development of diseases in mothers and their offspring Modifiable risk factors such as maternal diet can modulate different functions in the expression of genes, hormone concentrations, and risk of diseases later in life. Certain dietary patterns adopted prior to and during early pregnancy have been associated with complications in the mother and her offspring. These complications include gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, caesarean sections, prematurity, and neonatal size [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. The MedDiet seems like an optimal diet to adopt during pregnancy, in order to promote materno-foetal health
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