Eleonora Rubini, Lenie van Rossem, Sam Schoenmakers, Sten P. Willemsen, Kevin D. Sinclair, Régine P. M. Steegers-Theunissen, Melek Rousian
{"title":"Maternal fatty acid intake and human embryonic growth: the Rotterdam Periconception Cohort","authors":"Eleonora Rubini, Lenie van Rossem, Sam Schoenmakers, Sten P. Willemsen, Kevin D. Sinclair, Régine P. M. Steegers-Theunissen, Melek Rousian","doi":"10.1007/s10654-024-01184-8","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>The required intake of macronutrients by women during the periconceptional period for optimal fetal growth is the subject of ongoing investigation. Intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) is positively associated with fetal neural development, growth velocity and birth weight. However, limited evidence indicates that PUFAs play a role in embryogenesis. We aim to investigate the associations between maternal PUFA dietary intake and first trimester embryonic volume (EV) and head volume (HV). In a prospective cohort study (2013–2020), 464 pregnant women at < 8 weeks of gestation were included. Maternal dietary intake of PUFAs, including omega 3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA and eicosapentaeonic acid, EPA) and 6, was obtained from food frequency questionnaires, and first trimester three-dimensional ultrasound examinations were performed to measure EV and HV using Virtual Reality techniques. More than 70% of the population had omega 3 intakes below recommendations. A higher intake of PUFAs was associated with a smaller embryonic HV/EV ratio after adjusting for confounders (EPA <i>p</i> = 0.012, DHA <i>p</i> = 0.015, omega 3 and 6 <i>p</i> < 0.001), but no associations were found with EV or HV alone. Omega 3 from fish oil supplements alone was not associated with embryonic growth. Strong adherence to a PUFA-rich dietary pattern was associated with a smaller embryonic HV/EV ratio (DHA and EPA-rich diet <i>p</i> = 0.054, PUFA-rich diet <i>p</i> = 0.002). It is important to increase awareness of the high prevalence of omega 3-deficiency among pregnant women, and the opportunity for prevention by increasing PUFA intake, thereby reducing the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes which originate during the periconceptional period.</p>","PeriodicalId":11907,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Epidemiology","volume":"98 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Journal of Epidemiology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-024-01184-8","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The required intake of macronutrients by women during the periconceptional period for optimal fetal growth is the subject of ongoing investigation. Intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) is positively associated with fetal neural development, growth velocity and birth weight. However, limited evidence indicates that PUFAs play a role in embryogenesis. We aim to investigate the associations between maternal PUFA dietary intake and first trimester embryonic volume (EV) and head volume (HV). In a prospective cohort study (2013–2020), 464 pregnant women at < 8 weeks of gestation were included. Maternal dietary intake of PUFAs, including omega 3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA and eicosapentaeonic acid, EPA) and 6, was obtained from food frequency questionnaires, and first trimester three-dimensional ultrasound examinations were performed to measure EV and HV using Virtual Reality techniques. More than 70% of the population had omega 3 intakes below recommendations. A higher intake of PUFAs was associated with a smaller embryonic HV/EV ratio after adjusting for confounders (EPA p = 0.012, DHA p = 0.015, omega 3 and 6 p < 0.001), but no associations were found with EV or HV alone. Omega 3 from fish oil supplements alone was not associated with embryonic growth. Strong adherence to a PUFA-rich dietary pattern was associated with a smaller embryonic HV/EV ratio (DHA and EPA-rich diet p = 0.054, PUFA-rich diet p = 0.002). It is important to increase awareness of the high prevalence of omega 3-deficiency among pregnant women, and the opportunity for prevention by increasing PUFA intake, thereby reducing the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes which originate during the periconceptional period.
期刊介绍:
The European Journal of Epidemiology, established in 1985, is a peer-reviewed publication that provides a platform for discussions on epidemiology in its broadest sense. It covers various aspects of epidemiologic research and statistical methods. The journal facilitates communication between researchers, educators, and practitioners in epidemiology, including those in clinical and community medicine. Contributions from diverse fields such as public health, preventive medicine, clinical medicine, health economics, and computational biology and data science, in relation to health and disease, are encouraged. While accepting submissions from all over the world, the journal particularly emphasizes European topics relevant to epidemiology. The published articles consist of empirical research findings, developments in methodology, and opinion pieces.