Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 7, 2026
Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
Published on: June 28, 2024
Maternal calcium, phosphorus, and supplement intake before and during pregnancy and their association with preterm
Zifu Wang1,2, Lei Cao1, Yuqing Li1
1School of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China.
Insights
Maternal phosphorus intake in the second trimester and calcium intake preconception and during pregnancy are crucial for preventing preterm birth (PTB). Increased phosphorus and calcium supplement use in the third trimester is also recommended to reduce PTB risk.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Preterm birth (PTB) is a significant global health challenge, leading to neonatal mortality and long-term developmental issues.
- Maternal nutrition is a key modifiable factor influencing PTB risk, alongside other factors like obesity, infection, and environmental exposures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal dietary intake of calcium and phosphorus, and calcium supplement use, with the risk of preterm birth.
- To analyze the impact of nutrient intake timing (preconception, during pregnancy) on offspring PTB risk.
Main Methods:
- A nested case-control study design was employed, utilizing data from a large cohort of pregnant women.
- Dietary interviews were conducted during pregnancy to assess nutrient intake, with logistic regression models used to analyze PTB risk.
- Restricted cubic spline models were used to examine non-linear associations between nutrient intake and PTB.
Main Results:
- Low phosphorus intake during the second trimester was significantly associated with an increased risk of PTB.
- Non-use of calcium supplements in the third trimester and low calcium intake preconception and during pregnancy were also linked to higher PTB risk.
- A synergistic effect was observed between calcium, phosphorus, and calcium supplement intake concerning PTB risk.
Conclusions:
- Increasing phosphorus intake during the second trimester and calcium intake preconception and during pregnancy is recommended to prevent PTB.
- Enhancing calcium supplement use during the third trimester may further reduce PTB risk.
- Findings can inform public health policies and prenatal nutrition guidelines to mitigate PTB.
Background:
Preterm birth (PTB) is a global epidemic, defined as delivery before 37 weeks of gestation, and is an important risk factor for neonatal death, morbidity and abnormal childhood development. Premature birth is currently regarded as a complex disease influenced by multiple factors. Common risk factors include nutritional deficiency during pregnancy, maternal obesity, environmental exposure, infection and inflammation, among which maternal nutrition during pregnancy is an important modifiable factor.
Objective:
To assess the relationship between maternal dietary calcium, phosphorus intake, and calcium supplement use before and during pregnancy was associated with the risk of PTB in offspring.
Method:
This study was a nested case-control study conducted based on a large cohort study. And included pregnant women who were registered at the Perinatal Medicine Center of Gansu Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital from March 2018 to March 2019 and whose birth outcomes could be followed up. One-on-one dietary interviews were conducted during pregnancy, and a database was established based on the overall dietary intake levels for subsequent statistical analysis. PTB was defined as the outcome variable, while the intake levels of different substances during pregnancy were set as independent variables. Unconditional logistic regression models estimated the association between nutrient intake and the risk of PTB. Calculating the odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) to analyze the impact of different substance intake levels on PTB. Additionally, a restricted cubic spline (RCS) model with multivariable adjustment was applied to excess the non-linear association between dietary magnesium and calcium intake was associated with the risk of PTB.
Result:
A total of 8897 pregnant women were included in the study, with 880 assigned to the case group and 8017 to the control group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low phosphorus intake in the second trimester was associated with an increased risk of PTB (OR = 1.297, CI: 1.020-1.649, P = 0.0341). Furthermore, similar results also exist for non-use of calcium supplements during the third trimester and low calcium intake preconception and during pregnancy. In addition, calcium, phosphorus and calcium supplements have a synergistic effect was associated with the risk of PTB.
Conclusion:
During the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, the intake of phosphorus and the use of calcium supplements should be increased. Additionally, to prevent premature birth, the intake of calcium should be increased preconception and during pregnancy. Furthermore, this might lead to the optimization of public health policies or the formulation of guidelines for prenatal nutrition.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:20Study Designs in Epidemiology
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and...
01:07Teratogenicity
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:27Urinary Tract Calculi IV: Nutrition Therapy and Prevention
01:31Essential Minerals for Bone Health
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...
01:30Vitamins