As per the new study, mothers who follow a particular diet as suggested by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) dietary guidelines during their pregnancy will be more likely to have healthy babies, steady growth patterns, and eventually will have reduced obesity risk.
The authors gathered information on diet, birth size, and infant growth at 6, 12, and 24 months by consulting medical records and other measurement aids. This cohort study assessed associations between prenatal dietary quality, measured by the healthy eating index (HEI) and the empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP), with infant birth size and growth from birth to 24 months. Data from 2,854 parent-child dyads in 8 environmental influences on child health outcomes (ECHO) program cohorts (2007–2021) were analyzed. Of the children examined, 48.7% were girls, representing a diverse racial composition: 3% were White, 35.8% Hispanic, 7.8% Asian, 22.4% Black, and 7.8% from other racial groups. Infant outcomes involved birth weight such as small for gestational age (SGA), reference range, large for gestational age (LGA), and growth lines (weight-for-length z-score differences categorized as slow, reference range, or rapid).
A higher HEI score (>80) was linked to lower odds of LGA (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.88), rapid growth to 6 months (aOR, 0.80) and 24 months (aOR, 0.82), and slow growth at all intervals (6 months: aOR, 0.65; 12 months: aOR, 0.74; 24 months: aOR, 0.65). Additionally, no association was found with SGA. A low EDIP score (≤63.6) indicated higher odds of LGA (aOR, 1.24) and rapid growth to 12 months (aOR, 1.50) but lower odds of rapid growth to 6 months (aOR, 0.77), with no link to SGA.
According to Assiamira Ferrara, MD, PhD, of Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, eating a healthy diet during pregnancy was associated with a reduced likelihood of extremely rapid infant growth, which is a strong predictor of obesity later in life.
“The findings support a role for a prenatal diet that is balanced by the USDA Dietary Guidelines in aiding healthy birthweights and balanced growth of children through early life,” said Monique Hedderson, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.
Future studies should investigate whether dietary interventions during pregnancy enhance childhood growth trajectories. Which incorporates more than 2,800 mother and child pairs from 8 ECHO cohort study sites, shows that eating a healthy prenatal diet consistent with the USDA dietary guidelines for Americans may have long-range effects on the growth of infants (up to 24 months).
Reference: Hedderson MM, Schuh HB, Knapp EA, et al. Prenatal Diet and Infant Growth From Birth to Age 24 Months. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(11):e2445771. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.45771
