Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 3, 2025

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
Published on: June 28, 2024
The Influence of Nutrients Intake during Pregnancy on Baby's Birth Weight: A Systematic Review
Rafaela Cristina Vieira E Souza1, Cristianny Miranda1, Larissa Bueno Ferreira1
1Department of Nutrition, School of Nursing, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Background And Objective:
Maternal food intake during pregnancy can substantially interfere in the baby's anthropometric measurements at birth. Our objective was to perform a systematic review that investigate the influence of nutrient intake via food during pregnancy on the baby's anthropometric measurements at birth.
Methods:
A search was performed without time limits on CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases and manual on studies references. All nutrients and baby's anthropometric measurements at birth were included as descriptors.
Results:
Thirty articles were included, the majority of prospective cohort studies, with 15.39 (2.36) quality points (maximum value: 22). Thirty-six results of associations were found, of which 17 studies had direct associations between nutrient intake and birth outcomes. Inverse associations were identified in 8 studies and 11 articles showed no significant associations in all analyses. Maternal food intake of vitamin C, calcium and magnesium during pregnancy seems to have a positive influence on the baby's birth weight, while carbohydrates intake have an inverse association with the same outcome.
Conclusion:
It is suggested that vitamin C, calcium, magnesium and carbohydrates influence on baby's birth weight. So, these specific nutrients need more attention to the consumption, in addition to carried out new studies, with robust methodologies for measuring maternal food consumption and considering the several factors that can interfere in this assessment.
Registration:
This review has been registered to the PROSPERO (International prospective register of systematic reviews) (ID: CRD42020167889).
Related Concept Videos
Regression Toward the Mean
Environmental Influences on Intelligence
Parentral Nutrition: Centeral and Peripheral Parental Nutrition
PN can be administered through two primary routes:
1. Central Parenteral Nutrition (CPN):
CPN involves delivering a high concentration of nutrients through a large vein. This is typically achieved using a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) or,...
Nature and Nurture
Anatomy of the Intestines
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the...
Teratogenicity

