In most populations studied, birth weight was inversely related to type 2 diabetes risk.

Objective To examine whether an association exists between maternal dietary patterns and risk of preterm delivery.Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Norway, between 2002 and 2008.Participants 66 000 pregnant women (singletons, answered food frequency questionnaire, no missing information about parity or previously preterm delivery, pregnancy duration between 22+0 and 41+6 gestational weeks, no diabetes, first enrolment pregnancy). Main outcome measureHazard ratio for preterm delivery according to level of adherence to three distinct dietary patterns interpreted as "prudent" (for example, vegetables, fruits, oils, water as beverage, whole grain cereals, fibre rich bread), "Western" (salty and sweet snacks, white bread, desserts, processed meat products), and "traditional" (potatoes, fish).Results After adjustment for covariates, high scores on the "prudent" pattern were associated with significantly reduced risk of preterm delivery hazard ratio for the highest versus the lowest third (0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.80 to 0.97). The prudent pattern was also associated with a significantly lower risk of late and spontaneous preterm delivery. No independent association with preterm delivery was found for the "Western" pattern. The "traditional" pattern was associated with reduced risk of preterm delivery for the highest versus the lowest third (hazard ratio 0.91, 0.83 to 0.99). ConclusionThis study showed that women adhering to a "prudent" or a "traditional" dietary pattern during pregnancy were at lower risk of preterm delivery compared with other women. Although these findings cannot establish causality, they support dietary advice to pregnant women to eat a balanced diet including vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and fish and to drink water. Our results indicate that increasing the intake of foods associated with a prudent dietary pattern is more important than totally excluding processed food, fast food, junk food, and snacks.

A gestational weight gain of 11.5-16.0 kg (Institute of Medicine recommendation) for women of normal prepregnant weight is related to the lowest risk for pregnancy-delivery complications. In the population studied, the upper limit might be higher (up to 18 kg), and low weight gain should be avoided to optimize birth outcome.

Adhering to a prudent dietary pattern in pregnancy was clearly associated with lower risk of GDM, especially among women already at higher risk because of overweight/obesity before pregnancy.

High gestational weight gain among women of normal weight before pregnancy increases birth weight and women's weight postpartum, compared with moderate weight gain. Prepregnant weight is more indicative of postpartum weight, and women reach normal weight again irrespective of gestational weight gain.

Results from previous studies on associations between maternal fish and seafood intakes and fetal growth are inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate how maternal intakes of seafood, subtypes of seafood and supplementary n-3 fatty acids were associated with infant birth weight, length and head circumference in a prospective study in Norway. The study population included 62 099 participants in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. The mothers answered an FFQ in mid pregnancy. The FFQ comprised detailed questions about intake of various seafood items and n-3 supplements. Data on infant birth weight, length and head circumference were obtained from the Medical Birth Registry. We used multivariable regression to examine how total seafood, various seafood subtypes and supplementary n-3 intakes were associated with birth size measures. Total seafood intake was positively associated with birth weight and head circumference. Lean fish was positively associated with all birth size measures; shellfish was positively associated with birth weight, while fatty fish was not associated with any birth size measures. Intake of supplementary n-3 was negatively associated with head circumference. The relative risk of giving birth to a small baby (, 2500 g) in full-term pregnancies was significantly lower in women who consumed . 60 g/d of seafood than in women who consumed # 5 g/d (OR ¼ 0·56 (95 % CI 0·35, 0·88). In conclusion, maternal seafood consumption was positively associated with birth size, driven by lean fish intake, while supplementary n-3 intake was negatively associated with infant head circumference.

This 1998 study investigated the association between intake of fish and fish oil during pregnancy and full-term infants' size at birth in an Icelandic fishing community. Healthy women aged 20-40 years of normal weight before pregnancy (body mass index: 19.5-25.5 kg/m(2)) and at 38-43 weeks of gestation were selected randomly. Information on infant size at birth was collected from maternity records. Intake of fish and fish oil in pregnancy was ascertained (n = 491, 80.1%) by using a validated, focused, food frequency questionnaire. Infants of women in the lowest quartile of fish consumption weighed less (p = 0.036), were shorter (p < 0.001), and had a smaller head circumference (p < 0.001) at birth than those of women consuming higher amounts of fish. Infants of women in the highest quartile of fish oil intake (> or =1 tablespoon (11 ml)/day), consuming threefold the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin A and twofold that of vitamin D, were shorter (p = 0.036) and had a smaller head circumference (p = 0.003) than those of women consuming less. Infant size at birth increased with fish consumption, especially for women in the lower quartiles of consumption. Smaller birth size was linked to the highest levels of fish oil intake. Constituents of fish and fish oil might affect birth size differently depending on the amount consumed.

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