Association Between Maternal Diet and Frequency of Micronuclei in Mothers and Newborns: A Systematic Review

Background/Objectives: The effect of diet on maternal and infant genetic levels has been reported in the literature. Diet-associated DNA damage, such as the presence of micronuclei (MN), may be related to an increased risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer. There is particular concern regarding this damage during pregnancy, as it may affect the newborn (NB). Thus, this review aims to summarize the primary evidence of the impact of diet on the frequency of MN in the mother-infant population. Methods: Five databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect) were used to search for observational studies. Google Scholar and manual searching were required to perform the "gray literature" search. Results: The search strategy retrieved 1418 records. Of these, 13 were read in full and 5 were included in the review. Most studies were of the cohort type (n = 4) and were carried out in the European region. A total of 875 pregnant women and 238 newborns were evaluated. Despite insufficient evidence to confirm that diet changes the frequency of MN, the included studies found possible effects from the consumption of fried red meat and processed meats and the adequate consumption of vegetables and polyunsaturated fats. Conclusions: Future research is needed in order to understand the effects of diet on genetic stability and to obtain evidence to help plan public policies on food and nutrition or reinforce protective dietary patterns for this and future generations.