Original Article

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008) 62, 463–470; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602745; published online 28 March 2007

Major dietary patterns in pregnancy and fetal growth

V K Knudsen1, I M Orozova-Bekkevold1,2, T B Mikkelsen1, S Wolff1,3 and S F Olsen1

  1. 1Maternal Nutrition Group, Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
  2. 2Danmarks TransportForskning, Denmark
  3. 3Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

Correspondence: VK Knudsen, Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark. E-mail: vik@ssi.dk

Received 13 June 2006; Revised 13 February 2007; Accepted 19 February 2007; Published online 28 March 2007.

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Abstract

Objectives:

 

To investigate possible associations between maternal diet during pregnancy and fetal growth.

Method:

 

Factor analysis was used to explore dietary patterns among pregnant women. The association between maternal dietary patterns and fetal growth (in terms of small for gestational age, SGA) was investigated by logistic regression. Prospective cohort study, including information on 44 612 women in Denmark.

Results:

 

Two major dietary patterns were defined: the first pattern was characterized by red and processed meat, high-fat dairy, and the second pattern was characterized by intake of vegetables, fruits, poultry and fish. Women were classified into three classes according to their diet: the first class had high intake of foods of the first dietary pattern, and was classified as 'the Western diet', the second class preferred foods of the second pattern and was classified as the 'Health Conscious'; and the third one had eaten foods of both patterns, and was classified as the 'Intermediate'. The odds ratio of having a small for gestational-age infant (with a birth weight below the 2.5th percentile for gestational age and gender) was 0.74 (95% CI 0.64–0.86) for women in the Health Conscious class compared with women in the Western Diet class. The analyses were adjusted for parity, maternal smoking, age, height, pre-pregnancy weight and father's height.

Conclusions:

 

Our results indicated that a diet in pregnancy, based on red and processed meat and high-fat diary, was associated with increased risk for SGA. Further studies are warranted to identify specific macro-, or micronutrients that may be underlying these associations.

Keywords:

maternal dietary patterns, fetal growth, factor analysis, Danish national birth cohort

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