The Role of Fresh Beef Intake and Mediterranean Diet Adherence during Pregnancy in Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes.

Beef is an excellent source of nutrients important for maternal health and fetal development. It is also true that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial for the health of both the mother and offspring; however, the relative value of fresh beef intake within Mediterranean diet patterns during pregnancy is unknown. The objective of this project was two-fold: (1) assess the relationship between beef intake and nutrient intake in a pregnant population; (2) assess the relationship between maternal beef consumption among varying degrees of Mediterranean diet adherence with maternal risk of anemia and infant health outcomes. This is a secondary analysis of an existing cohort of pregnant women (n = 1076) who participated in one of two completed clinical trials examining the effect of a docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on birth and offspring outcomes. Women were enrolled between 12 and 20 weeks of gestation and were followed throughout their pregnancies to collect maternal and infant characteristics, food frequency questionnaires [providing beef intake and Mediterranean diet (MedD) adherence], and supplement intake. Women with the highest fresh beef intake had the highest intake of many micronutrients that are commonly deficient among pregnant women. Fresh beef intake alone was not related to any maternal or infant outcomes. There was a reduced risk of anemia among women with medium to high MedD quality and higher fresh beef intake. Women in the medium MedD group had 31% lower odds of anemia, and women in the high MedD group had 38% lower odds of anemia with every one-ounce increase in fresh beef intake, suggesting that diet quality indices may be misrepresenting the role of fresh beef within a healthy diet. These findings show that beef intake increases micronutrient intake and may be protective against maternal anemia when consumed within a healthy Mediterranean diet pattern.

DHA Supplementation During Pregnancy Enhances Maternal Vagally Mediated Cardiac Autonomic Control in Humans.

BACKGROUND: DHA is an essential omega-3 (ω-3; n-3) fatty acid that has well-established benefits for the fetus. DHA also has the potential to influence the health of the mother, but this area is understudied. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this secondary analysis was to determine if DHA was related to maternal heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) metrics in a large cohort of pregnant women. METHODS: In the parent trial (1R01HD086001) eligible participants (≥18 y old, English speaking, carrying a singleton pregnancy, 12-20 wk of gestation) were randomly assigned to consume 200 mg/d or 800 mg/d DHA for the duration of their pregnancy (n = 300). Weight, blood pressure, and magnetocardiograms (MCGs) were collected at 32 wk and 36 wk of gestation (n = 221). Measures of HR and HRV in time-, frequency-, and nonlinear-domains were determined from the isolated maternal MCG. Treatment group and timepoint were examined as predictors in association with HR and HRV metrics using random-intercept mixed-effects ANOVA unadjusted and adjusted models accounting for weight and dietary DHA intake. RESULTS: Women receiving the higher dose of DHA (800 mg/d) during pregnancy had lower HR, lower sympathetic index, higher vagally mediated HRV indices, and greater HRV complexity when compared with the women who received the lower dose (200 mg/d; all P < 0.05). All the dose relations remained significant even after controlling for the effect of time, maternal weight, and dietary DHA intake. CONCLUSIONS: DHA supplementation increases vagal tone in pregnant women. Longitudinal studies examining the potential link between DHA, enhanced vagal tone, and reported reduction in early preterm birth are warranted.

Prenatal docosahexaenoic acid supplementation has long-term effects on childhood behavioral and brain responses during performance on an inhibitory task.

Introduction: Offsprings from a prenatal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation trial, in which pregnant women were assigned to placebo or 600mg DHA/day, were followed to determine the effect of prenatal DHA supplementation on the behavior and brain function at 5.5 years (n=81 placebo, n=86 supplemented).Methods: Event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded during a visual task requiring a button press (Go) to frequent target stimuli and response inhibition to the rare stimuli (No-Go). Univariate ANOVAs were used to test differences between group and sex for behavioral measures. ERP differences were tested using a three-way mixed-design multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).Results: There was a significant sex × group interaction for hit rate and errors of omission; there was no difference between males and females in the placebo group, but DHA males outperformed DHA females. Males overall and the placebo group made more errors requiring response inhibition; DHA females were significantly better than placebo females and DHA males. ERP P2 amplitude was larger in the DHA group. A significant N2 amplitude condition effect was observed in females and DHA group males, but not in placebo group males.Discussion: Prenatal DHA supplementation improved inhibitory performance overall, especially for females in the DHA group, possibly accounting for their conservative behavior during Go trials. Development of brain regions responsible for visual processing may be sensitive to maternal DHA status, evidenced by greater P2 amplitude. Males may benefit more from maternal DHA supplementation, indicated by the N2 condition effect seen only in males in the DHA group.

Prenatal docosahexaenoic acid effect on maternal-infant DHA-equilibrium and fetal neurodevelopment: a randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Maternal-infant equilibrium occurs when cord blood docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is less than or equal to maternal DHA at delivery. Equilibrium may be an indicator of sufficient DHA for optimal fetal and infant neurodevelopment. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of maternal DHA supplementation on equilibrium status and fetal neurodevelopment. METHODS: Women enrolled between 12 and 20 weeks gestation and were randomized to 200 or 800 mg DHA/day until delivery. Maternal red blood cell (RBC) phospholipids were measured at enrollment, 32 weeks, delivery, and in cord blood at delivery. Fetal neurodevelopment was measured at 32 and 36 weeks gestation. Intent-to-treat analyses were conducted to test differences in equilibrium status by group. Fetal outcomes were assessed by equilibrium status and group. RESULTS: Three hundred women enrolled and 262 maternal-infant dyads provided blood samples at delivery. No maternal-infant dyads with maternal RBC-DHA ≤ 6.96% at delivery achieved equilibrium. The incidence of equilibrium was significantly higher in the 800 mg group. There was no effect of maternal group or equilibrium status on fetal neurodevelopment. CONCLUSION: The significance of maternal-infant DHA equilibrium remains unknown. Ongoing research will test the effect of treatment group, equilibrium, and nutrient status on infant behavior and brain function. IMPACT: Pregnant women who received a higher dose of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were more likely to achieve maternal-infant DHA equilibrium at delivery. Equilibrium status had no effect on fetal neurodevelopment in this sample. While DHA is crucial for early life neurodevelopment, the significance of achieving maternal-infant equilibrium above the lower threshold is uncertain. There is a lower threshold of maternal DHA status where maternal-infant DHA equilibrium never occurs. The lack of equilibrium associated with low maternal DHA status may indicate insufficient maternal status for optimal placental transfer.