Associations Between Late Pregnancy Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and Offspring Bone Mass: A Meta-Analysis of the Southampton Women's Survey (SWS) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

Abstract

Systemic inflammation is associated with reduced bone mineral density and may be influenced by pro-inflammatory diets. We undertook an observational analysis of associations between late pregnancy energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII) scores and offspring bone outcomes in childhood. E-DII scores (higher scores indicating pro-inflammatory diets) were derived from food frequency questionnaires in late pregnancy in two prospective mother-offspring cohorts: the Southampton Women's Survey (SWS) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). The mean (SD) offspring age at dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning was 9.2 (0.2) years. Linear regression was used to assess associations between E-DII and bone outcomes, adjusting for offspring sex and age at DXA and maternal age at childbirth, educational level, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), parity, physical activity level, and smoking in pregnancy. Associations were synthesized using fixed-effect meta-analysis. Beta coefficients represent the association per unit E-DII increment. In fully adjusted models (total n = 5910) late pregnancy E-DII was negatively associated with offspring whole body minus head bone area (BA: β = À3.68 [95% confidence interval À6.09, À1.27] cm 2 /unit), bone mineral content (BMC: β = À4.16 [95% CI À6.70, À1.62] g/unit), and areal bone mineral density (aBMD: β = À0.0012 [95% CI À0.0020, À0.0004] g.cm À2 /unit), but there was only a weak association with BMC adjusted for BA (β = À0.48 [95% CI À1.11, 0.15] g/unit) at 9 years. Adjustment for child height partly or, for weight, fully attenuated the associations. Higher late pregnancy E-DII scores (representing a more pro-inflammatory diet) are negatively associated with offspring bone measures, supporting the importance of maternal and childhood diet on longitudinal offspring bone health.

Maternal Exposure to Red Rooibos Does Not Alter Bone Development in Male or Female Sprague-Dawley Rat Offspring

“…A dietary challenge may have provided an environment where the RR may have resulted in programming of bone development. A recent study of two maternal-offspring cohorts (Southampton Women’s Survey and Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) has shown a correlation between a higher late pregnancy dietary inflammatory index and offspring bone health at 9 years of age, specifically a lower bone mineral content and BMD [ 2 ]. In line with this study are previous findings that RR could benefit the bone through modulation of potential antioxidant activity.…”

“…Many studies have shown that maternal diet can set a trajectory for bone health of offspring [ 1 , 2 ]. Findings from these human studies align with preclinical studies reporting effects of diet including the level and type of fat, low protein content, general undernutrition or overnutrition, as well as polyphenols, to program offspring bone health [ [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] ].…”

Bridging the Gap: Pregnancy—And Lactation—Associated Osteoporosis

“…No specific link to further development of menopausal osteoporosis in females suffering with PAO/LAO has yet been established; some data have suggested that girls born from mothers with PAO have lower BMD than controls, probably in common with the genetic background of their mothers [23,24]. The MAVIDOS (Maternal Vitamin D Osteoporosis Study) trial showed a higher BMD of offspring by the age of 4 to whom consistent maternal vitamin D (VD) supplementation was provided, VD deficiency being identified in a subgroup of females confirmed with PAO/LAO [25].…”

Early Life Programming of Skeletal Health

“…Similarly, in over 50,000 mother–offspring pairs in the Danish National Birth Cohort study, a more Western diet in mid-pregnancy, characterised by high intakes of meat, potatoes and white bread but low fruit and vegetable intake, was associated with higher offspring risk of childhood forearm fracture [ 55 ]. More recently published work using the SWS and ALSPAC birth cohorts showed maternal consumption of a diet with a high dietary inflammatory index was negatively associated with offspring BA, BMC and aBMD in childhood [ 56 ].…”