Maternal Dietary Patterns during Pregnancy and Congenital Heart Defects: A Case-Control Study.

Jiaomei Yang,Lingxia Zeng,Yue Cheng,Yijun Kang,Shaonong Dang,Hong Yan

doi:10.3390/ijerph16162957

Abstract

Limited studies investigating the relationships between dietary patterns and congenital heart defects (CHDs) are available. This study aimed to explore the associations between dietary patterns and CHDs risk in Shaanxi, China. We conducted a hospital-based case-control study and included a total of 474 cases and 948 controls. Pregnant women waiting for delivery in the hospital were interviewed to report their diets during pregnancy using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were derived using principal component factor analysis. Mixed logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between dietary patterns and CHDs. Pregnant women in the highest tertile of the prudent pattern had a lower risk of CHDs compared to those in the lowest tertile (OR = 0.65, 95%CI: 0.48–0.89). Pregnant women with high scores on the vegetarian pattern were at an increased risk of CHDs (medium vs. lowest tertile: OR = 1.50, 95%CI = 1.03–2.17; highest vs. lowest tertile: OR = 1.56, 95%CI = 1.13–2.15; ptrend = 0.015). Pregnant women with high scores on the dairy and egg pattern were at a reduced risk of CHDs (medium vs. lowest tertile: OR = 0.66, 95%CI = 0.49–0.90; highest vs. lowest tertile: OR = 0.60, 95%CI = 0.43–0.82; ptrend = 0.001). Maternal diet during pregnancy is an important target for intervention, and it may influence the likelihood of developing CHDs.

Highlights

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common congenital anomalies in the world, with an estimated prevalence of 9.1 per 1000 live births [1]
CHDs consist of different subtypes, including ventricular septal defects (VSD), atrial septal defects (ASD), and patent ductus arteriosus, which may have etiological heterogeneity
The cases and controls, the prudent pattern and the dairy and egg pattern scores were higher among women who resided in urban areas, had employment outside their homes, and had higher education levels, while the vegetarian pattern scores were lower among these groups. In both cases and controls, the factor score was higher among primiparous women for the prudent pattern and the dairy and egg pattern, whereas we found no difference in maternal parity for the vegetarian pattern

Summary

Introduction

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common congenital anomalies in the world, with an estimated prevalence of 9.1 per 1000 live births [1]. CHDs are the leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality from birth defects [2]. Surviving infants with CHDs may suffer from lifelong physical and mental comorbidities, posing substantial burdens on the family and society [2,3]. The etiology of most CHDs remains unknown. Previous studies have indicated that the occurrence of CHDs results from the interactions of genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and nutritional factors [4]. CHDs consist of different subtypes, including ventricular septal defects (VSD), atrial septal defects (ASD), and patent ductus arteriosus, which may have etiological heterogeneity

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