Maternal Diet Research Articles

Dietary intake and status of selenium in breast milk and serum of lactating mothers in Awka, South East Nigeria.

Background: Selenium is an essential micronutrient for human growth and development. Breast milk is usually the primary source of this nutrient for infants which is fundamental for their healthy brain development; its deficiency can lead to severe neurocognitive outcomes. The concentration of selenium in breast milk is dependent on the maternal diet. Aim: This study assessed associations between maternal diet and levels of selenium concentrations in breastmilk and serum of 124 lactating mothers. Methods: Breast milk and serum samples were collected from lactating mothers whose breast-fed infant was at least one month old. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to collect information on dietary intake. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data while paired t-test was used to determine any statistically significant differences between sample means. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to determine associations between breast milk and serum selenium concentrations and study variables. Results: Average time postpartum was 2.9 months while mean concentrations of selenium in breast milk and serum were 6.57 ± 2.69 and 68.48 ± 26.86 µg/L, respectively. Levels of selenium in breast milk and serum were deficient for more than half of the lactating mothers. No statistically significant associations were found between breast milk selenium concentration and time postpartum as well as maternal diet except for eggs (r = 0.23, p = 0.01). Conclusion: The evidence of deficient concentrations of breast milk selenium indicates a poor correlation with maternal diet and suggests the need for postpartum screening of breastfeeding mothers.

Supplementing maternal diet with milk oligosaccharides and probiotics helps develop the immune system and intestinal flora of offsprings.

Intestinal flora is very important for improving the development of the immune system in newborns. Maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation is one of the key factors affecting the growth and development of offspring. The objective of the present study was to examine whether supplementation of maternal diet with milk oligosaccharides and Bifidobacterium could influence the development of the intestinal flora and immune system of neonatal mice. In total, 30 pregnant Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were randomly divided into six groups: a control group (basal diet) and five intervention groups (basal diet supplemented with different doses of 2'-fucosyllactose [2'-FL] and Bifidobacterium Bb12) during the pregnancy period. All female mice were monitored for physical health during gavage. After delivery, the number of mice in each litter, any deformity, and the development of the offspring were recorded. The spleen, blood, and fecal samples of six groups of 10-12 day-old offspring were collected. The results demonstrated that maternal milk oligosaccharides and probiotics conferred protective effects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced immunosuppression in mice offspring by significantly enhancing the immune organ indexes, splenocyte proliferation, immunoglobulin (immunoglobulin G, A, M) production as well as improving the macrophage phagocytosis (p < .05). The abundance of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in the feces of offspring mice in the intervention groups was significantly higher than that of the offspring mice in the control group (p < .05). These findings suggest that the combination of 2'-FL and Bifidobacterium Bb12 displayed synergistic interactions between the two components that could promote the development of the immune system of the offsprings and improve their microbiota through maternal ingestion.

Metabolic and molecular effects of dietary extra virgin olive oil in blood and placenta of women with GDM.

At term, the TG/HDL cholesterol ratio, fatty acid binding protein 4 circulating levels, and maternal BMI were increased in the GDM patients, alterations prevented by the maternal diet enriched in EVOO. Although there were no changes in placental lipid levels and lipid profile, GDM placentas were thicker than controls and showed increased glycogen and collagen content, alterations prevented by the EVOO enriched diet. GDM placentas showed increases in megalin levels, in the expression of several genes involved in the endocytic pathway, and in miR-199, which targets these genes, alterations prevented by the maternal diet enriched in EVOO. We identified novel beneficial effects of an EVOO-enriched diet in GDM women, a diet capable of regulating maternal insulin resistance, the structure and metabolism of the placenta, and the placental endocytic pathway, suggesting effects that may be beneficial for fetal development.

The influence of a maternal vegan diet on carnitine and vitamin B2 concentrations in human milk.

The maternal diet greatly influences the nutritional composition of human milk. With the rise of vegan diets by lactating mothers, there are concerns about the nutritional adequacy of their milk. Two important nutrients, vitamin B2 and carnitine, are mostly ingested via animal products. We investigated the influence of a vegan diet on the vitamin B2 and carnitine concentrations in milk and serum of lactating women. In this case-control study, 25 lactating mothers following an exclusive vegan diet were comparted to 25 healthy lactating mothers with an omnivorous diet without use of supplements. High-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were used to measure vitamin B2 and carnitine concentrations, respectively. A linear regression model was used to determine differences in human milk and serum concentrations between study groups. Vitamin B2 concentrations in human milk and serum did not differ between study groups. While the human milk free carnitine (C0) and acetyl carnitine (C2) concentrations did not differ between study groups, serum carnitine concentrations were lower in participants following a vegan diet than in omnivorous women (p < 0.0001). A maternal vegan diet did not affect human milk concentration of vitamin B2 and carnitine. Breastfed infants of mothers following an exclusive vegan diet therefore are likely not at increased risk of developing a vitamin B2 or carnitine deficiency.

An intestinal sphingolipid confers intergenerational neuroprotection

In animals, maternal diet and environment can influence the health of offspring. Whether and how maternal dietary choice impacts the nervous system across multiple generations is not well understood. Here we show that feeding Caenorhabditis elegans with ursolic acid, a natural plant product, improves axon transport and reduces adult-onset axon fragility intergenerationally. Ursolic acid provides neuroprotection by enhancing maternal provisioning of sphingosine-1-phosphate, a bioactive sphingolipid. Intestine-to-oocyte sphingosine-1-phosphate transfer is required for intergenerational neuroprotection and is dependent on the RME-2 lipoprotein yolk receptor. Sphingosine-1-phosphate acts intergenerationally by upregulating the transcription of the acid ceramidase-1 (asah-1) gene in the intestine. Spatial regulation of sphingolipid metabolism is critical, as inappropriate asah-1 expression in neurons causes developmental axon outgrowth defects. Our results show that sphingolipid homeostasis impacts the development and intergenerational health of the nervous system. The ability of specific lipid metabolites to act as messengers between generations may have broad implications for dietary choice during reproduction.

Astaxanthin and DHA supplementation ameliorates the proteomic profile of perinatal undernutrition-induced adipose tissue dysfunction in adult life

Maternal diet is an essential factor that directly and indirectly regulates fetal growth. Exposure to certain environmental conditions substantially impacts an individual's short- and long-term health. Adipose tissue dysfunction is a worldwide chronic disease caused by improper lipid build-up in adipose tissue leading to obesity. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to invent anti-obesity agents. As a keto–carotenoid, Astaxanthin (AsX) has been shown to have preventive effects against problems associated with obesity. A crucial role in the pathogenesis of obesity has been attributed to dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids. Adipose tissue plays a vital role in maintaining overall body homeostasis. Metabolic dysfunction of white adipocytes forms a critical step in the emergence of insulin resistance and related diseases. Here we aim to investigate the effect of AsX and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation on the proteomic profile of perinatal undernutrition-induced adipose tissue dysfunction in adult life using a rat model. The LC–MS/MS quantitative proteomics enabled us to identify differentially expressed proteins in perinatal undernourished but AsX and DHA-supplemented animal models. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD041772.This study explored biological roles, molecular functions of differentially expressed proteins, and pathways related to adipose tissue dysfunction induced by undernutrition and its effective modulation by AsX and DHA.

Chinese herbs in maternal diets related to clinical presentations in breastfed infants

IntroductionFew studies explored the effects of maternal herb consumption on breastfed infants. Our aims were to investigate the relationship between maternal consumption of Chinese herb-enriched diets and clinical presentations of breastfed infants at 1 to 2 months of age. MethodsThis prospective study enroled healthy infants aged 25 to 60 days from the Taipei branch of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan during 2013-2019. We measured feeding type, weight gain, jaundice, stool frequency, irritability, sleeping hours, regurgitation, and flatulence. Four commonly used Chinese diets were assessed, including Eucommia ulmoides, Si-Wu-Tan, Sheng-Hua-Tang, and sesame oil chicken. ResultsWe enroled 751 infants, of whom 359 were on exclusive breastfeeding, 52 on formula feeding, and 340 on partial breastfeeding (at least one meal each of breast milk and formula daily). We observed significant differences in activity, sleeping hours, jaundice, and stool frequency between infants on exclusive breastfeeding, formula feeding, and partial breastfeeding. Regarding infants on exclusive breastfeeding, multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that infants whose mothers consumed E ulmoides were at higher risk of prolonged jaundice. In contrast, infants whose mothers consumed Si-Wu-Tan were at lower risk of prolonged jaundice. Furthermore, stool passage frequency increased in infants whose mothers consumed E ulmoides, Si-Wu-Tang, and sesame oil chicken. ConclusionsOur results showed that maternal diets containing certain Chinese herbs, specifically E ulmoides and Si-Wu-Tan are related to breast milk jaundice, while E ulmoides, Si-Wu-Tang, and sesame oil chicken are related to increased stool frequency among breastfed infants.

Maternal dietary fiber intake during pregnancy and child development: the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Animal studies have shown that maternal low-fiber diets during pregnancy may impair brain development and function in offspring, but this has not been validated by epidemiological studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the link between maternal dietary fiber intake during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental delay in offspring using a large birth cohort. A total of 76,207 mother-infant pairs were analyzed using data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a nationwide prospective cohort study. Maternal dietary fiber intake was estimated using the food frequency questionnaire in mid-pregnancy. Maternal dietary fiber intake was adjusted for energy and classified into quintiles. Developmental delay was assessed in five domains using the Japanese version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition at the age of 3 years. The logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the link between dietary fiber intake during pregnancy and developmental delay at the age of 3 years. The lowest intake group of total dietary fiber had a higher risk of delayed communication [adjusted OR (aOR), 1.51; 95% CI, 1.32-1.74], fine motor (aOR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.32-1.61), problem-solving (aOR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.32-1.61), and personal-social skills (aOR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.12-1.50) than did the highest intake group. An analysis that excluded the effects of insufficient folic acid intake during pregnancy also showed a similar trend. This study showed that maternal dietary fiber deficiency during pregnancy might influence an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay in offspring.

Association between exposure to air pollution during preconception and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: The role of anti-inflammatory diet

BackgroundRegarding the association between the sensitive time-windows of air pollution (AP) exposure and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), epidemiological findings are inconsistent. The dietary inflammatory potential has been implicated in the development of GDM, but it is unclear whether an anti-inflammatory diet during pregnancy reduces the association between AP and GDM. ObjectiveWe aimed to characterize the sensitive time-windows of AP to GDM risk. Further, to verify whether a maternal anti-inflammatory diet can reduce the risk of AP-induced GDM, by inhibiting inflammation. MethodsA total of 8495 pregnant women were included between 2015 and 2021 in the Maternal & Infants Health in Hefei study. Weekly mean AP exposure to fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10), SO2, and NO2 was estimated from the data of Hefei City Ecology and Environment Bureau. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations were measured to evaluate systemic inflammation. The empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score based on a validated food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the dietary inflammatory potential of pregnant women.Logistic regression models with distributed lags were used to identify the sensitive time-window for the effect of AP on GDM. Mediation analysis estimated the mediated effect of hs-CRP, linking AP with GDM. Stratified analysis was used to investigate the potential effect of anti-inflammatory diet on GDM risk. ResultsThe increased risks of GDM were found to be positively associated with exposure to PM2.5 (OR = 1.11, 95% CI:1.07–1.15), PM10 (OR = 1.12, 95% CI:1.09–1.16), and SO2 (OR = 1.42, 95% CI:1.25–1.60) by distributed lag models, and the critical exposure windows were 21st to 28th weeks of preconception. The proportion of association between PM2.5, PM10, and SO2 with GDM mediated by hs-CRP was 25.9%, 21.1%, and 19.4%, respectively, according to mediation analysis. In the stratified analyses by EDIP, the association between AP and GDM was not statistically significant among women those with anti-inflammatory diets. ConclusionsExposure to AP, especially in 21st to 28th week of preconception, is associated with risk of GDM, which is partly mediated by hs-CRP. Adherence to the anti-inflammatory dietary pattern may reduce the risk of AP-induced GDM.

Small ruminant neonatal nutrition

Loss of preweaned lambs and kids is a significant economic burden on small ruminant enterprises. Nutrition is an impor­tant factor impacting neonatal losses. Four critical nutritional phases can impact neonatal viability: maternal gestational diet adequacy, colostrum feeding, milk feeding and rumen develop­ment, and post-weaning feeding practices. As with any farm animal, consumption of adequate amounts of high-quality co­lostrum is the single most critical event in the life of a small ruminant. In contrast to dairy cattle, no guidelines defining volume and immunoglobulin (Ig) content for sheep and goat co­lostrum to ensure adequate passive transfer are available. Simi­larly, there are no well-defined criteria for determining success or failure of passive transfer in sheep and goats. The second most critical event of the neonatal small ruminant is adequate rumen development to facilitate a smooth transition during the weaning process. This presentation will address these 4 nutri­tional phases with emphasis on colostrum management prac­tices and rumen development as methods to improve neonatal survivability and viability.

Maternal Diet May Modulate Breast Milk Microbiota-A Case Study in a Group of Colombian Women.

There is increasing evidence that the diet and nutritional status of women during pregnancy and lactation can modulate the microbiota of their milk and, therefore, the microbiota of the infant. An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was carried out in a group of lactating women. Dietary intake during gestation and the first trimester of lactation was evaluated, and the microbiota was analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing using the Illumina platform. Globally, Streptococcus spp. (32%), Staphylococcus spp. (17.3%), Corynebacterium spp. (5.1%) and Veillonella spp. (3.1%) were the predominant bacterial genera. The consumption of simple carbohydrates in gestation (rho = 0.55, p ≤ 0.01) and lactation (rho = 0.50, p ≤ 0.01) were positively correlated with Enterobacter spp. In lactation, a negative correlation was observed between the intake of simple carbohydrates and the genus Bifidobacterium spp. (rho = -0.51 p ≤ 0.01); furthermore, a positive correlation was identified between the intake of folic acid and Akkermansia spp. (rho = 0.47, p ≤ 0.01). Amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) associated with the delivery mode, employment relationship, the baby's gender, birth weight, the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the breastfeeding woman, and gestational weight gain were recovered as covariates in a linear mixed model. The results of this research showed that the maternal nutritional status and diet of women during gestation and lactation could modulate the microbiota of breast milk.

The effect of maternal consumption of high-fat diet on ovarian development in offspring

The environment encountered by the fetus during its development exerts a profound influence on its physiological function and disease risk in adulthood. Women's intake of high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation has gradually become an issue of widespread concern. Maternal high-fat diet will not only cause abnormal neurological development and metabolic syndrome symptoms in the offspring, but also affect the fertility of female offspring. Maternal high-fat diet affects the expression of genes related to follicle growth in offspring, such as AAT, AFP and GDF-9, which reduces the number of follicles and impairs follicle development. Additionally, maternal high-fat diet also affects ovarian health by inducing ovarian oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, which collectively can impair the reproductive potential of female offspring. Reproductive potential carries significant importance for both humans and animals. Therefore, this review aims to describe the effect of maternal exposure to high-fat diet on the ovarian development of offspring and to discuss possible mechanisms by which maternal diet affects the growth and metabolism of offspring.

Maternal diet and interactions with nutritional evaluation during pregnancy.

This narrative review aims to describe the knowledge regarding nutritional evaluation and monitoring in pregnant women. We discuss care provided by non-specialists in nutrition, regarding dietary information and risks during pregnancy, from a theoretical or conceptual viewpoint. A narrative review was conducted following a literature search when scientific databases were investigated, including SciELO, LILACS, Medline, PubMed, theses, government reports, books, and chapters in books. Finally, the material was fully read, categorized, and critically analyzed. National and international protocols of prenatal nutritional care were included and discussed. Different protocols describe the complexity of evaluating and monitoring nutrition among pregnant women during the prenatal period according to each country. The understanding of social conditions and eating habits has an important role in providing nutritional advice during pregnancy. The lack of dietitians in care overwhelms the healthcare workers and characterizes a missed opportunity. Therefore, it is important to consider rapid support tools that can track adverse nutritional status, and ways to recommend a diet that meets eating habit dynamics, according to the reality of each public health system.

The Effect of Maternal Methyl-Enriched Diet on the Number of Dopaminergic Neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area in Adult Offspring of WAG/Rij Rats

WAG/Rij rats are genetic model of absence epilepsy with comorbid depression. Pathologic phenotype in WAG/Rij rats was shown to be associated with reduced dopamine (DA) tone within the mesolimbic DAergic brain system. Previously, it was found that maternal methyl-enriched diet (MED) in the perinatal period increases DA content in the mesolimbic DAergic brain system and reduces absence seizures and comorbid depression in adult offspring of WAG/Rij rats. Ventral tegmental area (VTA), containing DA cells bodies, is a main source of the mesolimbic DA synthesis. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that increases in the mesolimbic DAergic tone induced by maternal MED in offspring may be due to an increase in the number of DA-synthesizing neurons in the VTA. Immunohistochemistry for thyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was used to assess the number of TH-immunopositive cells in adult offspring of WAG/Rij rats born to mothers fed control diet or MED and subjected or not subjected to behavioral testing for 2 consecutive days in the light-dark choice, open field, elevated plus maze and forced swimming tests. One hour after the forced swimming test animals were anesthetized. Brains were fixed using transcardial perfusion. The number of DAergic neurons was determined by the number of TH-immunopositive cells on brain slices at the level of VTA. The number of TH-immunopositive cells was counted in left and right hemispheres separately. A significant effect of maternal MED on the number of cells in the VTA expressing TH has been established. Adult WAG/Rij offspring born to mothers fed MED had an increased number of TH-immunopositive cells as compared with the offspring born to mothers fed control diet. Moreover, in WAG/Rij offspring born to mothers fed MED, the number of TH-immunopositive cells was greater in animals subjected to behavioral testing compared with animals not subjected to behavioral testing. The effects of maternal MED and behavioral testing on the number of TH-immunopositive cells in the VTA were equally expressed in the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Results suggest that maternal MED in the perinatal period can affect the developing mesolimbic DAergic brain system, promoting the generation and/or maintenance of DA neurons in the VTA, and thereby prevent the occurrence of genetic absence epilepsy and comorbid depression in the offspring of WAG/Rij rats.

P17-061-23 Assessing Differences in Maternal and Child Diet Quality by Experiences of Household Food Insecurity and the Dual Burden: Evidence From the Galápagos

P17-061-23 Assessing Differences in Maternal and Child Diet Quality by Experiences of Household Food Insecurity and the Dual Burden: Evidence From the Galápagos

OR12-05-23 The Impact of Maternal Protein Restriction and High-Fat Diet in Offspring on the Outcomes of Growth Hormone Treatment in Mice

OR12-05-23 The Impact of Maternal Protein Restriction and High-Fat Diet in Offspring on the Outcomes of Growth Hormone Treatment in Mice

The Effect of Maternal Methyl-Enriched Diet on the Number of Dopaminergic Neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area in Adult Offspring of WAG/Rij Rats

The Effect of Maternal Methyl-Enriched Diet on the Number of Dopaminergic Neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area in Adult Offspring of WAG/Rij Rats

P10-008-23 Maternal Low Protein Diet Influence on Transgenerational Metabolic Syndrome in the Collaborative Cross

P10-008-23 Maternal Low Protein Diet Influence on Transgenerational Metabolic Syndrome in the Collaborative Cross

P07-007-23 Human Milk Fatty Acid Composition in Relation to Maternal Diet: Findings From the JiVitA-3 Study

P07-007-23 Human Milk Fatty Acid Composition in Relation to Maternal Diet: Findings From the JiVitA-3 Study

P27-018-23 Comparing Maternal Diet and Fecal SCFA Profiles of Infants With and Without Prenatal Opioid Exposure

P27-018-23 Comparing Maternal Diet and Fecal SCFA Profiles of Infants With and Without Prenatal Opioid Exposure