TY - JOUR
T1 - The Dietary Glycemic Index during Pregnancy
T2 - Influence on Infant Birth Weight, Fetal Growth, and Biomarkers of Carbohydrate Metabolism
AU - Scholl, Theresa O.
AU - Chen, Xinhua
AU - Khoo, Chor San
AU - Lenders, Carine
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by grants HD18269 and HD 38321 from the National Institutes of Health.
PY - 2004/3/1
Y1 - 2004/3/1
N2 - During pregnancy, lower levels of maternal glucose before and during a glucose load have been associated with reduced infant birth weight and an increased risk of small-for-gestational-age births. A lower incremental area under the glucose response curve defines a low glycemic diet. Thus, during pregnancy the maternal diet, as measured by the glycemic index, may influence fetal growth and infant birth weight. A total of 1,082 gravidas who enrolled in the Camden Study between August 1996 and October 2002 were followed prospectively during pregnancy. The dietary glycemic index was computed from three 24-hour recalls in the course of pregnancy. Samples for plasma glucose and for glycosylated hemoglobin were obtained at 24-28 weeks' gestation. The glycemic index was positively and significantly related to maternal glycosylated hemoglobin and plasma glucose. There were as well significant linear trends for dietary fat intake to decrease and for intakes of carbohydrate, sucrose, fiber, and folate to increase as the glycemic index declined. Gravidas with a low dietary glycemic index had reduced infant birth weight and approximately a twofold increased risk of a small-for-gestational-age birth. Consistent with data on maternal plasma glucose, data in this study show that the type of carbohydrate in the diet of urban, low-income women influences fetal growth and infant birth weight.
AB - During pregnancy, lower levels of maternal glucose before and during a glucose load have been associated with reduced infant birth weight and an increased risk of small-for-gestational-age births. A lower incremental area under the glucose response curve defines a low glycemic diet. Thus, during pregnancy the maternal diet, as measured by the glycemic index, may influence fetal growth and infant birth weight. A total of 1,082 gravidas who enrolled in the Camden Study between August 1996 and October 2002 were followed prospectively during pregnancy. The dietary glycemic index was computed from three 24-hour recalls in the course of pregnancy. Samples for plasma glucose and for glycosylated hemoglobin were obtained at 24-28 weeks' gestation. The glycemic index was positively and significantly related to maternal glycosylated hemoglobin and plasma glucose. There were as well significant linear trends for dietary fat intake to decrease and for intakes of carbohydrate, sucrose, fiber, and folate to increase as the glycemic index declined. Gravidas with a low dietary glycemic index had reduced infant birth weight and approximately a twofold increased risk of a small-for-gestational-age birth. Consistent with data on maternal plasma glucose, data in this study show that the type of carbohydrate in the diet of urban, low-income women influences fetal growth and infant birth weight.
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U2 - 10.1093/aje/kwh068
DO - 10.1093/aje/kwh068
M3 - Article
C2 - 14977642
AN - SCOPUS:1442300287
SN - 0002-9262
VL - 159
SP - 467
EP - 474
JO - American Journal of Epidemiology
JF - American Journal of Epidemiology
IS - 5
ER -