Does the impact of a plant-based diet during pregnancy on birth weight differ by ethnicity? A dietary pattern analysis from a prospective Canadian birth cohort alliance.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:Birth weight is an indicator of newborn health and a strong predictor of health outcomes in later life. Significant variation in diet during pregnancy between ethnic groups in high-income countries provides an ideal opportunity to investigate the influence of maternal diet on birth weight. SETTING:Four multiethnic birth cohorts based in Canada (the NutriGen Alliance). PARTICIPANTS:3997 full-term mother-infant pairs of diverse ethnic groups who had principal component analysis-derived diet pattern scores-plant-based, Western and health-conscious-and birth weight data. RESULTS:No associations were identified between the Western and health-conscious diet patterns and birth weight; however, the plant-based dietary pattern was inversely associated with birth weight (?=-67.6?g per 1-unit increase; P<0.001), and an interaction with non-white ethnicity and birth weight was observed. Ethnically stratified analyses demonstrated that among white Europeans, maternal consumption of a plant-based diet associated with lower birth weight (?=-65.9?g per 1-unit increase; P<0.001), increased risk of small-for-gestational age (SGA; OR=1.46; 95%?CI 1.08 to 1.54;P=0.005) and reduced risk of large-for-gestational age (LGA; OR=0.71; 95%?CI 0.53 to 0.95;P=0.02). Among South Asians, maternal consumption of a plant-based diet associated with a higher birth weight (?=+40.5?g per 1-unit increase; P=0.01), partially explained by cooked vegetable consumption. CONCLUSIONS:Maternal consumption of a plant-based diet during pregnancy is associated with birth weight. Among white Europeans, a plant-based diet is associated with lower birth weight, reduced odds of an infant born LGA and increased odds of SGA, whereas among South Asians living in Canada, a plant-based diet is associated with increased birth weight.
SUBMITTER: Zulyniak MA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5695448 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
ACCESS DATA