Maternal Dietary Carbohydrate Intake and Newborn Aortic Wall Thickness

• Published in: Nutrients 2021-04, Vol.13 (4), p.1382
• Main Authors: Mckenzie, Kirsty M, Nasir, Reeja, Kong, Yang, Dissanayake, Hasthi U, McMullan, Rowena, Gordon, Adrienne, Meroni, Alice, Phang, Melinda, Skilton, Michael R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Animal models; Aorta; aortic intima-media thickness; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Babies; Body weight; Carbohydrates; Cardiovascular disease; Diabetes; Dietary intake; Energy; Food intake; Glycemic index; maternal diet; Mothers; Multiple births; Neonates; Newborn babies; Offspring; Pregnancy; Questionnaires; Risk factors; Statistical analysis; Thickness measurement; Ultrasound; Womens health
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu13041382

Evidence from animal models indicates that maternal diet during pregnancy affects offspring cardiometabolic health. Improving carbohydrate quality during high-risk pregnancies reduces aortic intima-medial thickness; a marker for early atherosclerosis; in the infant offspring. We sought to determine whether maternal carbohydrate quantity and quality are associated with newborn aortic intima-medial thickness in healthy pregnancies. Maternal diet throughout pregnancy was evaluated in 139 mother-child dyads using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Carbohydrate intake was expressed as quantity (% total energy), quality (fibre, glycaemic index), and glycaemic burden (glycaemic load). Aortic intima-medial thickness was measured by high-frequency ultrasound of the neonatal abdominal aorta. Neither quantity nor quality of maternal carbohydrate intake during pregnancy was associated with meaningful differences in offspring maximum aortic intima-medial thickness with the exception of fibre intake in women with overweight or obesity which was inversely associated (-8 μm [95% CI -14, -1] per g fibre, = 0.04). In healthy pregnancy, the quantity and quality of maternal carbohydrate intake is likely not a meaningful modifiable lifestyle factor for influencing offspring vascular health. The effect of carbohydrate quality may only be evident in high-risk pregnancies, consistent with previous findings. These findings may be confirmed in prospective dietary trials in pregnancy.