Maternal dietary patterns and gestational diabetes mellitus

• Main Author: Ellen Alma Tryggvadóttir 1980-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Næringarfræði; Mataræði; Meðganga; Sykursýki; Kvenna; Fries; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/19084

Background: A healthy diet during pregnancy is important for mother and child. Studies have implied that pregnant women of normal weight before pregnancy have healthier diets than those overweight or obese before pregnancy. Obesity is one of the risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), which is associated with negative health effects on both mother and child. Objective: 1) Investigate associations between maternal dietary pattern and GDM. 2) Compare maternal diets for women of normal weight before pregnancy and overweight/obese before pregnancy. Methods: A prospective observational study performed in cooperation with a separate study at the Gynecology department at the National hospital where Icelandic women aged 18 - 40 years were recruited at routine 20 week ultrasound at the Pre-natal diagnosis department. All participants kept a four day weighed food record as soon as possible following recruitment (weeks 19 - 24). All underwent an oral glucose tolerance test in weeks 23 - 28 Food data was recorded into the ICEFOOD calculating program based on the Icelandic food database (ISGEM). Food records were obtained from 98 normal weight women, 46 overweight women and 39 obese women (n=183), used to compare diets. Not all of these women underwent the OGTT or 86, 44 and 38 respectively (n=168) and only they were included in the study for GDM associations. Results: 1) A dietary pattern comprising of seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit and berries, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, pasta, breakfast cereals, coffee and tea with a negative correlation to intake of soft drinks and french fries was associated with lower risk of GDM (OR: 0.54 95% CI: 0.30, 0.98). The association was still present in the adjusted model (OR: 0.36 95% CI: 0.14, 0.94). 2) Women of normal weight before pregnancy appear to have somewhat healthier maternal diet choices then pregnant women who are obese before pregnancy. Dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, fiber and Omega-3 is lacking among pregnant women in Iceland. A number of the ...