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Intake of micronutrient-rich foods in rural Indian mothers is associated with the size of their babies at birth: Pune Maternal Nutrition Study

Intake of micronutrient-rich foods in rural Indian mothers is associated with the size of their babies at birth: Pune Maternal Nutrition Study
Intake of micronutrient-rich foods in rural Indian mothers is associated with the size of their babies at birth: Pune Maternal Nutrition Study
One third of the Indian babies are of low birth weight (<2.5 kg), and this is attributed to maternal undernutrition. We therefore examined the relationship between maternal nutrition and birth size in a prospective study of 797 rural Indian women, focusing on macronutrient intakes, dietary quality and micronutrient status. Maternal intakes (24-h recall and food frequency questionnaire) and erythrocyte folate, serum ferritin and vitamin C concentrations were measured at 18 ± 2 and 28 ± 2 wk gestation.
Mothers were short (151.9 ± 5.1 cm) and underweight (41.7 ± 5.1 kg) and had low energy and protein intakes at 18 wk (7.4 ± 2.1 MJ and 45.4 ± 14.1 g) and 28 wk (7.0 ± 2.0 MJ and 43.5 ± 13.5 g) of gestation. Mean birth weight and length of term babies were also low (2665 ± 358 g and 47.8 ± 2.0 cm, respectively). Energy and protein intakes were not associated with birth size, but higher fat intake at wk 18 was associated with neonatal length (P < 0.001), birth weight (P < 0.05) and triceps skinfold thickness (P < 0.05) when adjusted for sex, parity and gestation. However, birth size was strongly associated with the consumption of milk at wk 18 (P < 0.05) and of green leafy vegetables (P < 0.001) and fruits (P < 0.01) at wk 28 of gestation even after adjustment for potentially confounding variables.
Erythrocyte folate at 28 wk gestation was positively associated with birth weight (P < 0.001). The lack of association between size at birth and maternal energy and protein intake but strong associations with folate status and with intakes of foods rich in micronutrients suggest that micronutrients may be important limiting factors for fetal growth in this undernourished community.
india, maternal intake, food frequency questionnaire, green leafy vegetables, birth size
0022-3166
1217-1224
Rao, Shobha
f2b6465e-a502-4f06-861d-d761a3fd6569
Yajnik, Chittaranjan S.
f5777038-bba7-49bd-80b9-be4e586eecf4
Kanade, Asawari
53965646-4192-41ce-bcb8-45f44d116391
Fall, Caroline H.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18
Margetts, Barrie M.
d415f4a1-d572-4ebc-be25-f54886cb4788
Jackson, Alan A.
c9a12d7c-b4d6-4c92-820e-890a688379ef
Shier, Rosaleen
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Joshi, Sadhana
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Rege, Sonali
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Lubree, Himangi
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Desai, Bhavna
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Rao, Shobha
f2b6465e-a502-4f06-861d-d761a3fd6569
Yajnik, Chittaranjan S.
f5777038-bba7-49bd-80b9-be4e586eecf4
Kanade, Asawari
53965646-4192-41ce-bcb8-45f44d116391
Fall, Caroline H.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18
Margetts, Barrie M.
d415f4a1-d572-4ebc-be25-f54886cb4788
Jackson, Alan A.
c9a12d7c-b4d6-4c92-820e-890a688379ef
Shier, Rosaleen
3eecb26e-0236-4a37-b70c-0ba74f154840
Joshi, Sadhana
40f08f3b-bfdf-4b1b-8f0e-5078bb122de2
Rege, Sonali
8b5dccad-f8fd-4b7d-84ca-68dee26bce26
Lubree, Himangi
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Desai, Bhavna
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Rao, Shobha, Yajnik, Chittaranjan S., Kanade, Asawari, Fall, Caroline H., Margetts, Barrie M., Jackson, Alan A., Shier, Rosaleen, Joshi, Sadhana, Rege, Sonali, Lubree, Himangi and Desai, Bhavna (2001) Intake of micronutrient-rich foods in rural Indian mothers is associated with the size of their babies at birth: Pune Maternal Nutrition Study. Journal of Nutrition, 131 (4), 1217-1224.

Record type: Article

Abstract

One third of the Indian babies are of low birth weight (<2.5 kg), and this is attributed to maternal undernutrition. We therefore examined the relationship between maternal nutrition and birth size in a prospective study of 797 rural Indian women, focusing on macronutrient intakes, dietary quality and micronutrient status. Maternal intakes (24-h recall and food frequency questionnaire) and erythrocyte folate, serum ferritin and vitamin C concentrations were measured at 18 ± 2 and 28 ± 2 wk gestation.
Mothers were short (151.9 ± 5.1 cm) and underweight (41.7 ± 5.1 kg) and had low energy and protein intakes at 18 wk (7.4 ± 2.1 MJ and 45.4 ± 14.1 g) and 28 wk (7.0 ± 2.0 MJ and 43.5 ± 13.5 g) of gestation. Mean birth weight and length of term babies were also low (2665 ± 358 g and 47.8 ± 2.0 cm, respectively). Energy and protein intakes were not associated with birth size, but higher fat intake at wk 18 was associated with neonatal length (P < 0.001), birth weight (P < 0.05) and triceps skinfold thickness (P < 0.05) when adjusted for sex, parity and gestation. However, birth size was strongly associated with the consumption of milk at wk 18 (P < 0.05) and of green leafy vegetables (P < 0.001) and fruits (P < 0.01) at wk 28 of gestation even after adjustment for potentially confounding variables.
Erythrocyte folate at 28 wk gestation was positively associated with birth weight (P < 0.001). The lack of association between size at birth and maternal energy and protein intake but strong associations with folate status and with intakes of foods rich in micronutrients suggest that micronutrients may be important limiting factors for fetal growth in this undernourished community.

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More information

Published date: 2001
Additional Information: Community and International Nutrition
Keywords: india, maternal intake, food frequency questionnaire, green leafy vegetables, birth size

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 25925
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/25925
ISSN: 0022-3166
PURE UUID: 7609e130-06b7-4c26-8749-e32883163de8
ORCID for Caroline H. Fall: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4402-5552

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 21 Apr 2006
Last modified: 23 Jul 2022 01:33

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Contributors

Author: Shobha Rao
Author: Chittaranjan S. Yajnik
Author: Asawari Kanade
Author: Alan A. Jackson
Author: Rosaleen Shier
Author: Sadhana Joshi
Author: Sonali Rege
Author: Himangi Lubree
Author: Bhavna Desai

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