Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle Habits during Pregnancy: Is There an Association with Small for Gestational Age Infants? An Italian Single Centre Experience

Abstract

Background. The small-for-gestational-age (SGA) in infants is related to an increased risk of developing Non-Communicable Diseases later in life. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is related to lower odds of being SGA. The study explored retrospectively the association between SGA, maternal MD adherence, lifestyle habits and other SGA risk factors during pregnancy. Methods. One hundred women (16–44 years) with a pregnancy at term were enrolled. Demographic data, parity, pre-gestational BMI, gestational weight gain, pregnancy-related diseases, and type of delivery were collected. The MD adherence (MEDI-LITE score ≥ 9), physical activity level, and smoking/alcohol consumption were registered. SGA neonates were diagnosed according to the neonatal growth curves. Results. Women were divided into “SGA group” vs. “non-SGA group”. The MD was adopted by 71% of women and its adherence was higher in the “non-SGA group” (p = 0.02). The prevalence of pregnancy-related diseases (gestational diabetes/pregnancy-induced hypertension) was higher in the “SGA group” (p = 0.01). The logistic regression showed that pregnancy-related diseases were the only independent risk factor for SGA. Conclusions. MD may indirectly reduce the risk of SGA since it prevents and exerts a positive effect on pregnancy-related diseases (e.g., gestational diabetes and hypertension). The small sample size of women in the SGA group of the study imposes a major limitation to the results and conclusions of this research, suggesting however that it is worthy of further investigation.

Effectiveness of a nurse‐led mHealth app to prevent excessive gestational weight gain among overweight and obese women: A randomized controlled trial

“…Our finding shed light on the trajectories of GWG from pregnancy and deepens our understanding of the prolonged effects of this intervention on preventing excessive GWG. Previous studies also found that interventions designed to facilitate a healthy lifestyle and physical activity during pregnancy could reduce excessive GWG and improve adverse infant health outcomes, such as large gestational age (LGA) and low birthweight (De Giuseppe et al, 2021; Rathbone & Prescott, 2017). Our study aimed to increase the attainment of recommended GWG for overweight and obese women throughout the pregnancy course, which may also benefit infant health.…”

Improve adherence to the Mediterranean diet through an innovative app: a pilot study

“…Higher adherence to the MD (assessed through the Medi-Lite score) was associated with less likelihood of obesity (Zappalà et al , 2018) and a high Medi-Lite total scores was associated with low prevalence of dyslipidemia (Platania et al , 2018). Moreover, a Medi-Lite score > 9 in pregnant women was associated with a minor risk in developing small-for-gestational-age infants, which was related to an increased risk of developing noncommunicable diseases later in life (De Giuseppe et al , 2021). Therefore, according to relevant research literature, an increase in adherence to the MD, assessed by the Medi-Lite score, is beneficial in several aspects connected to obesity and related diseases, at different times in an individual’s life.…”

Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Its Association with Maternal and Newborn Outcomes

“…It has been demonstrated that MD is crucial and helpful for a correct gestational period and normal fetal growth. De Giuseppe et al [ 16 ] have shown that high adherence to a MD is positively related to a lower incidence of Small for Gestational Age (SGA), which is improved by increased physical activity (PA) and changing some lifestyle habits (e.g., quitting smoking and alcohol consumption).…”