Prenatal environment and offspring growth and body composition for the first year of life
Access status:
USyd Access
Type
ThesisThesis type
Doctor of PhilosophyAuthor/s
Movsesian, NathalieAbstract
Maternal nutrition influences fetal growth and offspring long term health. In particular, pregnancy hyperglycaemia increases fetal adiposity and childhood obesity. In this thesis, we explored the effect of maternal nutrition and dietary glycaemic index (GI) on fetal growth and body ...
See moreMaternal nutrition influences fetal growth and offspring long term health. In particular, pregnancy hyperglycaemia increases fetal adiposity and childhood obesity. In this thesis, we explored the effect of maternal nutrition and dietary glycaemic index (GI) on fetal growth and body composition. Women with risk factors for gestational diabetes were randomised to either a low GI diet or a healthy diet (HD) (n=139) from early pregnancy to delivery. In a self-selected sub-group (n = 59), infant anthropometry was measured at months 1 to 6, 9 and 12. Body composition was assessed at birth and at 3 months by air-displacement plethysmography and at 6 and 12 months by bioimpedance analysis. Dietary GI was significantly different between groups (low-GI 51 vs HD 57, P<0.001). Birth weight z-score was lower in the low-GI compared to the HD group, as was birth length z-score, but there were no significant differences in body composition or growth trajectories at any time-point. Maternal intakes of total fat and saturated fat were positively associated with neonatal fat mass (FM) index and fat-free mass (FFM) index, while carbohydrate intake was inversely associated with offspring FM index, and quality of carbohydrate (GI) with FFM index. At 12 months of age (n=49), none of the prenatal factors tested, including maternal prepregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain and GDM, was significantly associated with BMI at 12 months of age or BMI change from birth to 12 months. Of the postnatal factors (infant feeding practice, time spent in active or sedentary activities, sleep duration, infant appetite, appetite hormones), only plasma leptin concentrations predicted change in BMI. Low-GI dietary instruction normalised offspring birth weight and birth length z-scores, but had no effect on body composition and growth trajectory during the first 12 months of life. The potential role of quantity and quality of fat and carbohydrate in maternal diets deserves further study.
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See moreMaternal nutrition influences fetal growth and offspring long term health. In particular, pregnancy hyperglycaemia increases fetal adiposity and childhood obesity. In this thesis, we explored the effect of maternal nutrition and dietary glycaemic index (GI) on fetal growth and body composition. Women with risk factors for gestational diabetes were randomised to either a low GI diet or a healthy diet (HD) (n=139) from early pregnancy to delivery. In a self-selected sub-group (n = 59), infant anthropometry was measured at months 1 to 6, 9 and 12. Body composition was assessed at birth and at 3 months by air-displacement plethysmography and at 6 and 12 months by bioimpedance analysis. Dietary GI was significantly different between groups (low-GI 51 vs HD 57, P<0.001). Birth weight z-score was lower in the low-GI compared to the HD group, as was birth length z-score, but there were no significant differences in body composition or growth trajectories at any time-point. Maternal intakes of total fat and saturated fat were positively associated with neonatal fat mass (FM) index and fat-free mass (FFM) index, while carbohydrate intake was inversely associated with offspring FM index, and quality of carbohydrate (GI) with FFM index. At 12 months of age (n=49), none of the prenatal factors tested, including maternal prepregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain and GDM, was significantly associated with BMI at 12 months of age or BMI change from birth to 12 months. Of the postnatal factors (infant feeding practice, time spent in active or sedentary activities, sleep duration, infant appetite, appetite hormones), only plasma leptin concentrations predicted change in BMI. Low-GI dietary instruction normalised offspring birth weight and birth length z-scores, but had no effect on body composition and growth trajectory during the first 12 months of life. The potential role of quantity and quality of fat and carbohydrate in maternal diets deserves further study.
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Date
2014-09-01Licence
The author retains copyright of this thesis. It may only be used for the purposes of research and study. It must not be used for any other purposes and may not be transmitted or shared with others without prior permission.Faculty/School
Faculty of Science, School of Molecular BioscienceAwarding institution
The University of SydneyShare