Dairy and Growth, Latest Findings, and Lessons Learned

Low birth weight is a significant risk factor in infant mortality and morbidity and the likelihood of chronic and clinical disease in later life.

To identify reported associations between maternal dietary patterns and risk of low birth weight offspring.

This article reviews some of the literature on this subject, with emphasis on maternal intake of dairy products.

Published data show a positive association between maternal dairy product intake and birth weight but are inconclusive with respect to fetal length. While data are limited, 2 studies have reported a positive association between maternal consumption of milk and yogurt and birth weight, but this association is not observed with respect to consumption of cheese.

If correct, by deduction, this observation is suggestive that whey protein may be a contributing factor to birth weight. Indirect evidence supporting why this observation merits further investigation is presented.