Maternal Dietary Patterns during the Second Trimester Are Associated with Preterm Birth

Abstract

Diet quality during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth; thus, preconceptional and early prenatal dietary counseling promoting healthy dietary intake could improve pregnancy outcomes.

Adherence to a healthy eating index for pregnant women is associated with lower neonatal adiposity in a multiethnic Asian cohort: the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) Study

“…Although greater adherence to the DASH (21) and Mediterranean (18) diets has been associated with a lower incidence of preterm birth, several studies observed no association (13,15,16,19). For birth size, a better-quality diet during pregnancy has generally been associated with higher birth weight (10,14,17) and a lower risk of fetal growth restriction (10,14,20), but other studies have reported no association (9,(11)(12)(13)(14).…”

“…Existing studies have been conducted in white subjects (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21) and no study, to our knowledge, has examined the association between maternal diet quality and infant birth outcomes in Asians. Furthermore, only one study examined the association between maternal diet quality and infant body composition by using air displacement plethysmography (9); and to our knowledge, no study to date has explored abdominal adiposity.…”

“…There has been growing interest in examining overall maternal diet quality (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21) by using index scores such as the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) (7)(8)(9)(10), the Mediterranean diet score (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16), the New Nordic diet score (17,18), and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score (19). This is because these take into account the multiplex interactions among nutrients and foods (22), an approach congruent with recommendations of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (23).…”

“…This is because these take into account the multiplex interactions among nutrients and foods (22), an approach congruent with recommendations of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (23). Although each dietary index captures adherence to slightly different dietary guidelines, in general, these indexes indicate a good-quality diet as one that is high in vegetables, fruit, fish, and unsaturated fats and low in red and processed meat and saturated fats (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21).…”

Barriers and Facilitators to Improve Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among WIC-Eligible Pregnant Latinas: An Application of the Health Action Process Approach Framework

“…Suboptimal maternal dietary intake during pregnancy is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including gestational diabetes and hypertension 6 , and poorer birth outcomes. 7 Evidence suggests that improving prenatal F&V intake can promote optimal pregnancy and birth outcomes. Higher maternal F&V intake before or during pregnancy is associated with a decreased risk of miscarriage 8 , pre-eclampsia 9, 10 , upper respiratory infections 11 , and protects against gestational diabetes 12 in the mother.…”