Low Glycemic Index Carbohydrates versus All Types of Carbohydrates for Treating Diabetes in Pregnancy: A Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Effect of Glycemic Control

Background. Due to the higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM), more pregnant women complicated with diabetes are in need of clinical care. Purpose. Compare the effect of including only low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates (CHO) against all types of CHO on maternal glycemic control and on the maternal and newborn’s nutritional status of women with type 2 DM and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods. Women (n=107, ≤29 weeks of gestation) were randomly assigned to one of two nutrition intervention groups: moderate energy and CHO restriction (Group 1: all types of CHO, Group 2: low GI foods). Results. No baseline differences in clinical data were observed. Capillary glucose concentrations throughout pregnancy were similar between groups. Fewer women in Group 2 exceeded weight gain recommendations. Higher risk of prematurity was observed in women in Group 2. No differences in glycemic control were observed between women with type 2 DM and those with GDM. Conclusions. Inclusion of low GI CHO as part of a comprehensive nutrition intervention is equally effective in improving glycemic control as compared to all types of CHO. This strategy had a positive effect in preventing excessive maternal weight gain but increased the risk of prematurity

Nutrients, Mitochondrial Function, and Perinatal Health

Mitochondria are active independent organelles that not only meet the cellular energy requirement but also regulate central cellular activities. Mitochondria can play a critical role in physiological adaptations during pregnancy. Differences in mitochondrial function have been found between healthy and complicated pregnancies. Pregnancy signifies increased nutritional requirements to support fetal growth and the metabolism of maternal and fetal tissues. Nutrient availability regulates mitochondrial metabolism, where excessive macronutrient supply could lead to oxidative stress and contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction, while micronutrients are essential elements for optimal mitochondrial processes, as cofactors in energy metabolism and/or as antioxidants. Inadequate macronutrient and micronutrient consumption can result in adverse pregnancy outcomes, possibly through mitochondrial dysfunction, by impairing energy supply, one-carbon metabolism, biosynthetic pathways, and the availability of metabolic co-factors which modulate the epigenetic processes capable of establishing significant short- and long-term effects on infant health. Here, we review the importance of macronutrients and micronutrients on mitochondrial function and its influence on maternal and infant health

Low Glycemic Index Carbohydrates versus All Types of Carbohydrates for Treating Diabetes in Pregnancy: A Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Effect of Glycemic Control

Background. Due to the higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM), more pregnant women complicated with diabetes are in need of clinical care. Purpose. Compare the effect of including only low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates (CHO) against all types of CHO on maternal glycemic control and on the maternal and newborn's nutritional status of women with type 2 DM and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods. Women (n = 107, ≤29 weeks of gestation) were randomly assigned to one of two nutrition intervention groups: moderate energy and CHO restriction (Group 1: all types of CHO, Group 2: low GI foods). Results. No baseline differences in clinical data were observed. Capillary glucose concentrations throughout pregnancy were similar between groups. Fewer women in Group 2 exceeded weight gain recommendations. Higher risk of prematurity was observed in women in Group 2. No differences in glycemic control were observed between women with type 2 DM and those with GDM. Conclusions. Inclusion of low GI CHO as part of a comprehensive nutrition intervention is equally effective in improving glycemic control as compared to all types of CHO. This strategy had a positive effect in preventing excessive maternal weight gain but increased the risk of prematurity

Anthropometric and clinical correlates of fat mass in healthy term infants at 6 months of age

Abstract Background Body composition in infancy plays a central role in the programming of metabolic diseases. Fat mass (FM) is determined by personal and environmental factors. Anthropometric measurements allow for estimations of FM in many age groups; however, correlations of these measurements with FM in early stages of life are scarcely reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate anthropometric and clinical correlates of FM in healthy term infants at 6 months of age. Methods Healthy term newborns (n = 102) from a prospective cohort. Weight, length, skinfolds (biceps, triceps, subscapular and the sum -SFS-) and waist circumference (WC) were measured at 6 months. Body mass index (BMI) and WC/length ratio were computed. Type of feeding during the first 6 months of age was recorded. Air displacement plethysmography was used to asses FM (percentage -%-) and FM index (FMI) was calculated. Correlations and general linear models were performed to evaluate associations. Results Significant correlations were observed between all anthropometric measurements and FM (% and index)(p < 0.001). Exclusive/predominant breastfed infants had higher FM and anthropometric measurements at 6 months. Models that showed the strongest associations with FM (% and index) were SFS + WC + sex + type of feeding. Conclusions Anthropometry showed good correlations with FM at 6 months of age. Skinfolds sum and waist circumference were the strongest anthropometric variables associated to FM. Exclusive/predominant breastfeeding was strongly associated with FM

Diet Quality Is Associated with a High Newborn Size and Reduction in the Risk of Low Birth Weight and Small for Gestational Age in a Group of Mexican Pregnant Women: An Observational Study

A high-quality diet during pregnancy may have positive effects on fetal growth and nutritional status at birth, and it may modify the risk of developing chronic diseases later in life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between diet quality and newborn nutritional status in a group of pregnant Mexican women. As part of the ongoing Mexican prospective cohort study, OBESO, we studied 226 healthy pregnant women. We adapted the Alternated Healthy Eating Index-2010 for pregnancy (AHEI-10P). The association between maternal diet and newborn nutritional status was investigated by multiple linear regression and logistic regression models. We applied three 24-h recalls during the second half of gestation. As the AHEI-10P score improved by 5 units, the birth weight and length increased (β = 74.8 ± 35.0 g and β = 0.3 ± 0.4 cm, respectively, p &lt; 0.05). Similarly, the risk of low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA) decreased (OR: 0.47, 95%CI: 0.27–0.82 and OR: 0.55, 95%CI: 0.36–0.85, respectively). In women without preeclampsia and/or GDM, the risk of stunting decreased as the diet quality score increased (+5 units) (OR: 0.62, 95%IC: 0.40–0.96). A high-quality diet during pregnancy was associated with a higher newborn size and a reduced risk of LBW and SGA in this group of pregnant Mexican women

Vitamin D Deficiency, Excessive Gestational Weight Gain, and Oxidative Stress Predict Small for Gestational Age Newborns Using an Artificial Neural Network Model

(1) Background: Size at birth is an important early determinant of health later in life. The prevalence of small for gestational age (SGA) newborns is high worldwide and may be associated with maternal nutritional and metabolic factors. Thus, estimation of fetal growth is warranted. (2) Methods: In this work, we developed an artificial neural network (ANN) model based on first-trimester maternal body fat composition, biochemical and oxidative stress biomarkers, and gestational weight gain (GWG) to predict an SGA newborn in pregnancies with or without obesity. A sensibility analysis to classify maternal features was conducted, and a simulator based on the ANN algorithm was constructed to predict the SGA outcome. Several predictions were performed by varying the most critical maternal features attained by the model to obtain different scenarios leading to SGA. (3) Results: The ANN model showed good performance between the actual and simulated data (R2 = 0.938) and an AUROC of 0.8 on an independent dataset. The top-five maternal predictors in the first trimester were protein and lipid oxidation biomarkers (carbonylated proteins and malondialdehyde), GWG, vitamin D, and total antioxidant capacity. Finally, excessive GWG and redox imbalance predicted SGA newborns in the implemented simulator. Significantly, vitamin D deficiency also predicted simulated SGA independently of GWG or redox status. (4) Conclusions: The study provided a computational model for the early prediction of SGA, in addition to a promising simulator that facilitates hypothesis-driven constructions, to be further validated as an application

Intensive Medical Nutrition Therapy Alone or with Added Metformin to Prevent Gestational Diabetes Mellitus among High-Risk Mexican Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of intensive medical nutrition therapy (MNT) plus metformin in preventing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among high-risk Mexican women. An open-label randomized clinical trial was conducted. Inclusion criteria were pregnant women with three or more GDM risk factors: Latino ethnic group, maternal age &gt;35 years, body mass index &gt;25 kg/m2, insulin resistance, and a history of previous GDM, prediabetes, a macrosomic neonate, polycystic ovarian syndrome, or a first-degree relative with type 2 diabetes. Women before 15 weeks of gestation were assigned to group 1 (n = 45): intensive MNT-plus metformin (850 mg twice/day) or group 2 (n = 45): intensive MNT without metformin. Intensive MNT included individual dietary counseling, with &le;50% of total energy from high carbohydrates. The primary outcome was the GDM incidence according to the International Association of Diabetes Pregnancy Study Groups criteria. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics and adverse perinatal outcomes between the groups. The GDM incidence was n = 11 (24.4%) in the MNT plus metformin group versus n = 7 (15.5%) in the MNT without metformin group: p = 0.42 (RR: 1.57 [95% CI: 0.67&ndash;3.68]). There is no benefit in adding metformin to intensive MNT to prevent GDM among high-risk Mexican women. Clinical trials registration: NCT01675310

The impact of excluding adverse neonatal outcomes on the creation of gestational weight gain charts among women from low- and middle-income countries with normal and overweight BMI

Background Existing gestational weight gain (GWG) charts vary considerably in their choice of exclusion/inclusion criteria, and it is unclear to what extent these criteria create differences in the charts’ percentile values. Objectives We aimed to establish the impact of including/excluding pregnancies with adverse neonatal outcomes when constructing GWG charts. Methods This is an individual participant data analysis from 31 studies from low- and middle-income countries. We created a dataset that included all participants and a dataset restricted to those with no adverse neonatal outcomes: preterm 4000 g. Quantile regression models were used to create GWG curves from 9 to 40 wk, stratified by prepregnancy BMI, in each dataset. Results The dataset without the exclusion criteria applied included 14,685 individuals with normal weight and 4831 with overweight. After removing adverse neonatal outcomes, 10,479 individuals with normal weight and 3466 individuals with overweight remained. GWG distributions at 13, 27, and 40 wk were virtually identical between the datasets with and without the exclusion criteria, except at 40 wk for normal weight and 27 wk for overweight. For the 10th and 90th percentiles, the differences between the estimated GWG were larger for overweight (∼1.5 kg) compared with normal weight (<1 kg). Removal of adverse neonatal outcomes had minimal impact on GWG trajectories of normal weight. For overweight, the percentiles estimated in the dataset without the criteria were slightly higher than those in the dataset with the criteria applied. Nevertheless, differences were <1 kg and virtually nonexistent at the end of pregnancy. Conclusions Removing pregnancies with adverse neonatal outcomes has little or no influence on the GWG trajectories of individuals with normal and overweight