DIET DURING PREGNANCY IN RELATION TO BIRTH-WEIGHT IN HEALTHY SINGLETONS

We have investigated the relationship between consumption of food grou ps and intake of energy-generating macronutrients on the one hand, and birthweight on the other among apparently healthy singleton, term bab ies. Three hundred and sixty-eight women who delivered in six maternit y clinics in two Greek cities during specified days over an 8-month pe riod completed a 190-item, interviewer-administered, validated, semiqu antitative food frequency questionnaire. Study participants also provi ded information on sociodemographic, reproductive and lifestyle variab les. Data were analysed using multiple regression modelling. Nutrition al variables were energy-adjusted, and non-nutritional correlates of b irthweight were accounted for. The analysis revealed most of the estab lished non-nutritional associations of birthweight - an indication of study validity. Among food groups, meat and meat products and fish and sea food were suggestively associated with increased birthweight (two tailed P-values 0.08 and 0.16, respectively). Among energy-generating nutrients, monounsaturated fat was positively associated with birthwe ight and significantly so in several of the models. We consider our fi ndings are considered as compatible with hypotheses linking fish and m eat intake to fetal growth and as indicative of a positive association between intake of monounsaturated fat and birthweight.