A cohort study of 2,854 racially and ethnically diverse birthing parent-child pairs from 8 US cohorts (2007-2021) found that healthier prenatal diets were associated with reduced risk of growth patterns linked to obesity by age two.

Researchers analyzed data from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes program to evaluate associations between prenatal dietary quality and infant growth from birth to 24 months. The study focused on two dietary measures: the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP) scores.

Higher HEI scores (>80), indicating closer adherence to US Dietary Guidelines, were associated with reduced odds of large for gestational age (LGA) at birth (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-0.98). These infants also showed lower odds of rapid growth between birth and 24 months (aOR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.70-0.96) and decreased odds of slow growth at 6 months (aOR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.51-0.84), 12 months (aOR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.65-0.83), and 24 months (aOR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.56-0.76).

The EDIP findings were less conclusive. Low EDIP scores (≤63.6), reflecting less inflammatory diets, were associated with increased odds of LGA (aOR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.13-1.36) and reduced odds of rapid growth at 6 months (aOR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.71-0.83). However, these scores also correlated with higher odds of slow growth at 24 months (aOR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.18-1.91).

Published in JAMA Network Open, the study included a diverse cohort: 35.8% Hispanic, 22.4% Black, 23.3% White, 7.9% Asian or Pacific Islander, and 7.8% other race or multiple races participants. The findings suggest that following US Dietary Guidelines during pregnancy may help optimize infant growth patterns, while the role of dietary inflammation requires further study.

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.