Effect of gestational Mediterranean diet intervention on newborn fat mass and cord blood leptin level

Abstract

Background Maternal nutritional status is an important determinant of intrauterine growth and neonatal size. No published surveys exist on maternal Mediterranean diet intakes and newborn adiposity. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the individual maternal Mediterranean diet on the in-utero body fat formation and cord leptin level in newborns. Pregnant women with a pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 35 kg/m2 (n = 118) were assisted for individual dietary counseling based on the Mediterranean diet healthy eating. According to diet adherence, participants (paired mother and newborn) were divided into an intervention group (n = 57) and a control group (n = 61). We examined the association between diet modification and gestational weight gain, maternal, and cord leptin level together with newborn anthropometry (weight and fat mass %). Results Gestational weight gain, newborn birth weight, fat mass %, and cord leptin level lower in the intervention (12.22 ± 1.8 kg, 3.57 ± 0.35 kg, 9.27 ± 2.16 %, 11.78 ± 3.63 ng/ml, p = 000, respectively) than in control group (18.03 ± 3.25 kg, 4.02 ± 0.32 kg, 11.85 ± 2.30 %, 35.37 ± 11.14 ng/ml, respectively. Umbilical cord leptin levels strongly correlated with neonatal fat mass percent in both groups. However, maternal serum leptin did not correlate with the newborn parameters in the intervention group. Conclusion Maternal energy intake from healthy fat and diet intervention is probably associated with decreased fat mass and leptin levels in neonates.

Effects of Mediterranean Diet During Pregnancy on the Onset of Overweight or Obesity in the Offspring: A Randomized Trial

“…Leptin is a growth hormone that regulates appetite, metabolism, and body fat distribution; its synthesis occurs in the placenta and its cord blood levels are associated with newborn anthropometry and body fat (39,40). Our results are in line with those of another study reporting low levels of leptin in the cord blood of women following MD during pregnancy (10).…”

“…Lastly, in a cross-sectional study aimed at evaluating the impact of dietary counseling promoting adherence to MD in obese pregnant women, it was shown that adhering to the MD resulted in reduced gestational weight gain, newborn birth weight, fat mass, and cord leptin level (10).…”

“…To date, the evidence on the effects of MD during pregnancy for the prevention of childhood overweight/obesity are scarce and based on observational studies (9)(10)(11). The Mediterranean Diet during Pregnancy (PREMEDI) trial is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at addressing such limitation.…”

The Effect of Maternal Overweight/Obesity on Serum and Breastmilk Leptin, and Its Associations with Body Composition, Cardiometabolic Health Indices, and Maternal Diet: The BLOOM Study

“…However, in this group, Pl-aMED was moderately correlated with energy intake, which may explain the observed association. Despite the power of the analysis conducted in the OW/OB group being 8% lower than the recommended 80%, the observed results are indeed in line with the literature [14,58,59]. The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by a higher consumption of vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, olive oil, fish, and seafood, while minimizing the intake of meat, ultra-processed foods, and alcohol [60].…”

“…The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by a higher consumption of vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, olive oil, fish, and seafood, while minimizing the intake of meat, ultra-processed foods, and alcohol [60]. Previous studies found that the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower serum inflammatory biomarkers including leptin [14,58,59]. On the other hand, some studies have not confirmed this [61], or showed that the beneficial effect was only in participants with weight reduction [62].…”