Diet during pregnancy in relation to birthweight in healthy singletons

We have investigated the relationship between consumption of food groups and intake of energy-generating macronutrients on the one hand, and birthweight on the other among apparently healthy singleton, term babies. Three hundred and sixty-eight women who delivered in six maternity clinics in two Greek cities during specified days over an 8-month period completed a 190-item, interviewer-administered, validated, semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Study participants also provided information on sociodemographic, reproductive and lifestyle variables. Data were analysed using multiple regression modelling. Nutritional variables were energy-adjusted, and non-nutritional correlates of birthweight were accounted for. The analysis revealed most of the established non-nutritional associations of birthweight -- an indication of study validity. Among food groups, meat and meat products and fish and sea food were suggestively associated with increased birthweight (two tailed P-values 0.08 and 0.16, respectively). Among energy-generating nutrients, monounsaturated fat was positively associated with birthweight and significantly so in several of the models. We consider our findings are considered as compatible with hypotheses linking fish and meat intake to fetal growth and as indicative of a positive association between intake of monounsaturated fat and birthweight.