GESTATIONAL-AGE AND INFANT SIZE AT BIRTH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DIETARY SUGAR INTAKE AMONG PREGNANT ADOLESCENTS

The objective of this study was explore the relationship between pregn ancy outcomes and dietary sugar intake by pregnant adolescents. From t wo urban, prenatal clinics in the City of Camden, NJ, a cohort of 594 nondiabetic, pregnant adolescents, aged 13-19 y, who delivered live, s ingleton newborns between 1985 and 1990, was recruited and followed th rough pregnancy. Registered dietitians collected up to three 24-h reca lls during pregnancy, The adolescents were categorized according to to tal sugar in their diets, with those in the top 10th percentile define d as high sugar consumers (greater than or equal to 206 g, n = 60) and the reminder as reference consumers (<206 g), Primary outcome measure s were birth of small-for-gestational-age infants and gestational age. The cohort was 61% black, 30% Hispanic (Puerto Rican) and 9% white. T he adjusted odds ratio was 2.01 (95% confidence interval 1.05-7.53) fo r the delivery of a small-for-gestational age infant for adolescents c onsuming high sugar diets, regardless of their ethnicity. In addition, gestational age at delivery was -1.69 +/- 0.62 wk (beta +/- SE) Short er among Puerto Rican adolescents consuming high sugar diets (P = 0.00 7) compared with all reference sugar consumers and white adolescents c onsuming high sugar diets. Black adolescents consuming high sugar diet s did not exhibit a shortening of gestation. Thus, adolescents consumi ng high sugar diets are at increased risk for delivering small-for-ges tational-age infants, and for delivering infants earlier if they are o f Puerto Rican ethnicity.