Testing Associations Between Prenatal Fatty Acid Intake, Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index, Birth Outcomes, and Infant Sleep Characteristics at 6 Months of Age

• In Event: Metabolic State and Nutrition during Pregnancy: Mechanisms and Moderators of Effects on Offspring Health and Development

Abstract

There is growing evidence that prenatal diet programs fetal development to regulate infant physiology and behavior (Balsevich et al., 2016). Maternal diet during pregnancy has also been associated with infant physical growth outcomes, such as weight and gestational age at birth (Goldstein et al., 2017; Subhan et al., 2017). Long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA) are dietary nutrients of particular interest during pregnancy as they are needed for nervous system tissue growth and function (Innis, 2008). Prenatal ω-3 PUFA intake has been associated with birth outcomes and neural processes vital to sleep regulation and maintenance (Catalá, 2010; Meher et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 1998). Similarly, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) has been associated with birth outcomes and infant regulatory behaviors (Girchenko et al., 2018; Santos et al. 2019). In the current study, we examined the associations between prenatal ω-3 PUFA intake, pre-pregnancy BMI, infant age and weight at birth, and infant sleep characteristics at 6 months of age. Further, based on prior research demonstrating that infant sex influences birth outcomes and sleep characteristics (Barbara et al., 2015; Galjaard et al., 2019), we explored whether sex moderates the associations between prenatal ω-3 PUFA intake, pre-pregnancy BMI, and infant outcomes.

Data comes from the Brain and Early Experience (BEE) study (N=203), a longitudinal study following mother-infant dyads. Prenatal ω-3 PUFA intake was measured in three 24-hour diet recall interviews using the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR; Minneapolis, MN). Pre-pregnancy BMI, infant age and weight at birth, and infant sex were collected via maternal reports. Infant sleep characteristics were indexed using up to 7 nights of actigraphy monitoring when infants were 6 months old.

Preliminary findings regarding birth outcomes are based on the full sample (N=203) (Mills-Koonce et al., 2022), whereas preliminary findings regarding sleep outcomes are based on a sub-sample of dyads for which the actigraphy data are processed (N=37); standardized effect estimates are reported. Using multiple linear regression and adjusting for maternal age and education, prenatal ω-3 PUFA intake and pre-pregnancy BMI were both associated with increased infant birthweight (β=.17, p=.045; β=.15, p=.046, respectively). Prenatal ω-3 PUFA intake and pre-pregnancy BMI were not associated with gestational age at birth. Adjusting for maternal age, maternal education, child age, child sex, and breastfeeding status, prenatal ω-3 PUFA intake was associated with increased sleep percentage, defined as the percentage of time slept from sleep onset to morning waking (β=.61, p=.001). Pre-pregnancy BMI was not associated with infant sleep characteristics. Sex did not moderate the association between prenatal ω-3 PUFA intake and birthweight or between pre-pregnancy BMI and birthweight. However, it had a significant effect on the association between prenatal ω-3 PUFA intake and infant sleep percentage (β=-.58, p=.003), such that the effects were only prevalent in males (p=.001).

Though preliminary, these findings provide insight into very early determinants of health disparities and targets for interventions surrounding maternal and infant health. A total of 158 participants provided actigraphy data, which will be processed by the time of the SRCD Biennial Conference.

Authors

• Kirsten McLaughlin, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Presenting Author

• Carol L Cheatham, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Sarah J Short, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Cathi Propper, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill