Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate how maternal dietary patterns and maternal/fetal cytokines are associated with birth weight and whether cytokines mediate the association. A total of 469 pregnant women and their children were recruited for this prospective study. Dietary patterns in pregnancy were identified using factor analysis of data from three consecutive 24 h dietary recalls. Maternal and umbilical blood serum cytokines (adiponectin (APN), IL-6 and interferon-γ) were measured via ELISA. Path analysis was used to explore the relationships between maternal diet, cytokines and birth weight. Four dietary patterns were identified: a mainly fruit, dairy products and poultry diet (FDP); a mainly vegetables, beans and pork diet (VBP); a mainly fish, shrimp and soup diet (FS) and a mainly tuber and egg diet (TE). Path analysis showed the order of effects of dietary patterns on birth weight was FS>FDP>TE>VBP (β=0·130, 0·109, -0·094 and 0·046, respectively). Only the TE pattern's effect was negative. Maternal and fetal APN were positively associated with birth weight (β=0·045 and 0·226, respectively), and they mediated the association between the TE pattern and birth weight (indirect effect was 5·3 %). Maternal IL-6 was negatively associated with birth weight (β=-0·067) and mediated the association between maternal FDP and VBP patterns and birth weight (indirect effects were 10·1 and 100·0 %, respectively). All variables in the path explained 33·6 % of variation. These results suggested that maternal dietary patterns in pregnancy are associated with birth weight and mediated directly and indirectly through some maternal/fetal serum cytokines.
Highlights
The aim of the study was to investigate how maternal dietary patterns and maternal/fetal cytokines are associated with birth weight and whether cytokines mediate the association
Changes in serum cytokines like APN, leptin and insulin caused by maternal diet were proposed to influence fetal birth weight[40]. This concept was reinforced by the present study showing that approximately 10·1 and 5·3 % of the effects of the FDP and VBP patterns on birth weight were mediated by decreases in maternal serum IL-6, whereas the effect of the tuber and egg diet (TE) pattern was entirely mediated by changes in maternal and umbilical serum APN. All of these findings indicate that maternal dietary patterns affect birth weight in direct and indirect ways, and cytokines may be the link between maternal nutrition and fetal health
We demonstrated that some cytokines act as the mediator in the association between maternal diet and birth weight, generating improved understanding of how nutrition in early life ‘programs’ the offspring’s growth and development
Summary
The aim of the study was to investigate how maternal dietary patterns and maternal/fetal cytokines are associated with birth weight and whether cytokines mediate the association. Maternal and fetal APN were positively associated with birth weight (β = 0·045 and 0·226, respectively), and they mediated the association between the TE pattern and birth weight (indirect effect was 5·3 %). All variables in the path explained 33·6 % of variation These results suggested that maternal dietary patterns in pregnancy are associated with birth weight and mediated directly and indirectly through some maternal/fetal serum cytokines. Dietary patterns are a way to capture the overall dietary characteristics They evaluate the overall diet and take into account the interactive (i.e. synergistic or antagonistic) effects between nutrients[5]. It is more intuitive for public health nutrition recommendations Another important factor relevant to birth weight is cytokines in maternal/fetal blood[6].
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