Abstract

BackgroundDifferent diets during pregnancy might have an impact on the health, reflected in the birthweight of newborns. The consumption of fruits and vegetables during pregnancy and the relationship with newborn health status have been studied by several authors. However, these studies have shown inconsistent results. Purpose: We assessed whether certain foods were related to the risk of small for gestational age (SGA).MethodsA matched by age (± 2 years) and hospital 1:1 case-control study of 518 pairs of pregnant Spanish women in five hospitals was conducted. The cases were women with an SGA newborn at delivery (neonates weighting less than the 10th percentile, adjusted for gestational age at delivery and sex, were diagnosed as SGA). The control group comprised women giving birth to babies adequate for gestational age (AGA). Mothers who gave birth to babies large for gestational age (LGA) were excluded. Data were gathered concerning demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, toxic habits and diet. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) comprising 137 items was completed by all participants. The intake of vegetables, legumes and fruits was categorized in quintiles (Q1–Q5). Crude values and and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using conditional logistic regression. The variables for adjustment were as follows: preeclampsia, education, smoking, weight gain per week during pregnancy, fish intake and previous preterm/low birthweight newborns.ResultsTotal pulse intake showed an inverse association with the risk of SGA (trend p = 0.02). Women with an intake of fruits above 420 g/day (Q5), compared with women in Q1 (≤ 121 g/day) showed a decreased risk of SGA (AOR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.40–0.98). The total consumption of vegetables was not associated with the risk of SGA. The intake of selenium was assessed: a protective association was observed for Q3–5; a daily intake above 60 μg was associated with a lower risk of SGA (AOR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.22–0.69).ConclusionsFruits, pulses and selenium reduce the risk of SGA in Spanish women.

Highlights

  • Different diets during pregnancy might have an impact on the health, reflected in the birthweight of newborns

  • Given that previous studies correlating vegetable and fruit consumption with the risk of small for gestational age (SGA) present conflicting results, the aim of this study is to provide a fresh assessment of the effect of the intake of vegetables, legumes and fruits on the risk of SGA in a Southern European population

  • The highest levels of consumption are associated with a lower risk of SGA, statistical significance is only achieved for kidney beans

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Summary

Introduction

Different diets during pregnancy might have an impact on the health, reflected in the birthweight of newborns. Among the non-dietary variables, the main factors are maternal education, income, smoking, body mass index (BMI), low weight gain during pregnancy, diseases during pregnancy (anaemia, preeclampsia, hypertension, infections, etc.), previous low birthweight and factors related to preterm delivery, inter alia [9,10,11,12,13,14,15]. In this regard, maternal diet may play an important role. It may have an “additional” role in various risks during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes, maternal hypertension/preeclampsia, preterm birth and foetal growth restriction [16, 17]

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