Effect of a lifestyle intervention among pregnant women with overweight on neonatal adiposity: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Background

The excess neonatal adiposity is considered a risk factor for the development of childhood obesity and the birth weight is a marker of health throughout life.

Aims

To evaluate the effect of a lifestyle intervention conducted among pregnant women with overweight on neonatal adiposity and birth weight.

Methods

A total of 350 pregnant women were recruited and randomly allocated into the control (CG) and intervention (IG) groups. Pregnant women in the IG were invited to participate in three nutritional counselling sessions based on encouraging the consumption of unprocessed and minimally processed foods, rather than ultra-processed foods, following the NOVA food classification system, which categorizes foods according to the extent and purpose of industrial processing, and the regular practice of physical activity. Neonatal adiposity was estimated using a previously validated anthropometric model. Adjusted linear regression models were used to measure the effect.

Results

Adopting the modified intention-to-treat principle, data from 256 neonates were analyzed for birth weight, and data from 163 for body composition estimation. The treatment had no effect on the proportion of fat mass [β 0.52 (95 % CI −1.03, 2.06); p = .51], fat-free mass [β −0.50 (95 % CI −2.45, 1.45); p = .61] or birth weight [β 53.23 (95 % CI −87.19, 193.64); p = .46].

Conclusions

In the present study, the lifestyle counselling used had no effect on neonatal adiposity or birth weight. Future studies should investigate the effect of more intensive interventions.