Dietary Intake in Relation to the Risk of Developing Gestational Diabetes

Abstract

BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes (GDM) may predispose both the mother and her child to unfavorable health effects. Previous studies indicate that early pregnancy diet could explain the development of GDM in late pregnancy, although the results are inconsistent. OBJECTIVE Primary aims were to investigate how dietary intake and eating frequency in early pregnancy affect the risk of developing GDM in late pregnancy. METHODS The study included 351 overweight or obese women participating in a clinical nutrition study. The women’s dietary intake, in addition to eating frequency, were assessed from three-day food diaries. Information on women’s lifestyle habits and backgrounds was received from questionnaires. RESULTS Intakes of fat, saturated fat, and trans fat in early pregnancy were higher in women developing GDM compared to those remaining healthy in late pregnancy (p=0.030, p=0.014, p=0.025, respectively). These nutrients were also discovered to be significant predictors for GDM in multivariable logistic regression models adjusted with pre-pregnancy BMI and original trial intervention groups (OR: 1.01; 95% CI 1.001–1.02; OR:1.04; 95% CI 1.01–1.06; OR: 1.93; 95% CI 1.17–3.20, respectively). In contrast, high adherence to the healthier dietary pattern was found to decrease the GDM risk (adjusted OR: 0.39; 95% CI 0.16–0.95). No significant differences in women’s eating frequencies were seen with respect to the onset of GDM. CONCLUSIONS Results emphasize the importance of pregnant women’s dietary quality, especially fat quality, during early pregnancy in defining the onset of GDM. This information could be utilized in nutritional guidance of high-risk women at maternity clinics.