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Maternal and pediatric nutrition

Early first trimester maternal ‘high fish and olive oil and low meat’ dietary pattern is associated with accelerated human embryonic development

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 72, pages 1655–1662 (2018)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives

Maternal dietary patterns were associated with embryonic growth and congenital anomalies. We aim to evaluate associations between early first trimester maternal dietary patterns and embryonic morphological development among pregnancies with non-malformed outcome.

Subjects/methods

A total of 228 strictly dated, singleton pregnancies without congenital malformations were enrolled in a periconceptional hospital-based cohort. Principal component analysis was performed to extract early first trimester maternal dietary patterns from food frequency questionnaires. Serial transvaginal three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) scans were performed between 6+0 and 10+2 gestational weeks and internal and external morphological criteria were used to define Carnegie stages in a virtual reality system. Associations between dietary patterns and Carnegie stages were investigated using linear mixed models.

Results

A total of 726 3D US scans were included (median: three scans per pregnancy). The ‘high fish and olive oil and low meat’ dietary pattern was associated with accelerated embryonic development in the study population (β = 0.12 (95%CI: 0.00; 0.24), p < 0.05). Weak adherence to this dietary pattern delayed embryonic development by 2.1 days (95%CI: 1.6; 2.6) compared to strong adherence. The ‘high vegetables, fruit and grain’ dietary pattern accelerated embryonic development in the strictly dated spontaneous pregnancy subgroup without adjustment for energy intake.

Conclusions

Early first trimester maternal dietary patterns impacts human embryonic morphological development among pregnancies without congenital malformations. The clinical meaning of delayed embryonic development needs further investigation.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Rotterdam periconception cohort team for contributions to recruitment, data collection, and cleaning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, Netherlands

    Francesca Parisi, Melek Rousian, Régine P. M. Steegers-Theunissen, Sten P. Willemsen & Eric A. P. Steegers

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, Netherlands

    Régine P. M. Steegers-Theunissen

  3. Department of Bioinformatics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Dr. Molewaterplein 50-60, 3015 GE, Rotterdam, Netherlands

    Anton H. J. Koning

  4. Department of Biostatistics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, Netherlands

    Sten P. Willemsen

  5. Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Bomenweg 2, 6700 EV, Wageningen, Netherlands

    Jeanne H. M. de Vries

  6. Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Hospital Luigi Sacco, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

    Irene Cetin

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Correspondence to Régine P. M. Steegers-Theunissen.

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No conflicts of interests are declared. RST is CSO of the startup company Slimmere Zorg and CEO of eHealth Care Solutions.

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Parisi, F., Rousian, M., Steegers-Theunissen, R.P.M. et al. Early first trimester maternal ‘high fish and olive oil and low meat’ dietary pattern is associated with accelerated human embryonic development. Eur J Clin Nutr 72, 1655–1662 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0161-7

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