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Maternal total energy, macronutrient and vitamin intakes during pregnancy associated with the offspring’s birth size in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2020

Ehab S. Eshak*
Affiliation:
Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia 61511, Egypt
Chika Okada
Affiliation:
Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Sachiko Baba
Affiliation:
Bioethics and Public Policy, Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Takashi Kimura
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
Satoyo Ikehara
Affiliation:
Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Takuyo Sato
Affiliation:
Department of Maternal and Child Health Research, Division of Community Health and Research, Osaka Woman’s and Children’s Hospital, Osaka 594-1101, Japan
Kokoro Shirai
Affiliation:
Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Hiroyasu Iso
Affiliation:
Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Ehab S. Eshak fax +81-6-6879-3919, email ehab@pbhel.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
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Abstract

Maternal diet during pregnancy can influence fetal growth; however, the available evidence is controversial. We aimed to assess whether maternal diet of Japanese women in mid-pregnancy can affect their offspring’s birth size via collection of questionnaire and medical record data. The studied sample was a large cohort of paired mothers and their singleton offspring (n 78 793) from fifteen areas all over Japan who participated in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study. The mid-pregnancy intakes of total energy, macronutrients and vitamins were lower than the recommended intakes for pregnant Japanese women. Maternal total energy intake was positively associated with the offspring’s birth weight; there was a 10-g mean difference in the offspring’s birth weight of mothers in the lowest (3026 g) v. highest (3036 g) quartiles of energy intake. Carbohydrate intake was positively associated with the offspring’s birth length (mean difference of 0·7 cm) and inversely associated with the ponderal index (mean difference of 0·8 g/cm3). Offspring of mothers in the highest v. lowest quartiles of total dietary fibre intake were on average 9 g heavier and had 0·3 cm longer birth length and 0·2 cm longer head circumference. The highest in reference to lowest intake quartile of vitamin C was associated with 13 g and 0·7 cm mean differences in the offspring’s birth weight and length, respectively. Several other associations were evident for maternal intakes of vitamins and the offspring’s birth size. In conclusion, maternal dietary intakes of energy, dietary fibre, carbohydrate and vitamins during pregnancy were associated with the offspring’s birth size.

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Type
Full Papers
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Authors 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press
Figure 0

Table 1. Main characteristics of the studied mothers(Mean values and standard deviations; numbers and percentages)

Figure 1

Table 2. During pregnancy intakes of energy, macronutrients and vitamins of the studied mothers (n 78 793)*(Median values and interquartile ranges (IQR); numbers and percentages)

Figure 2

Table 3. Maternal and offspring’s characteristics according to maternal intakes of energy, macronutrients and vitamins during pregnancy(Mean values and percentages)

Figure 3

Table 4. Associations of maternal intakes of energy and macronutrients during pregnancy with the offspring’s birth size*(Mean values with their standard errors)

Figure 4

Table 5. Associations of maternal intakes of vitamins during pregnancy with the offspring’s birth size(Mean values with their standard errors)

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