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Effects of Maternal Nutrition and Lifestyle before and during Pregnancy...
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Effects of Maternal Nutrition and Lifestyle before and during Pregnancy on Short- and Long-Term Outcomes

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition in Women".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 March 2025) | Viewed by 2983

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chiara Mandò

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy
Interests: maternal nutrition; fetal programming; maternal obesity; pregnancy pathologies; pregnancy; placenta; placental mitochondria; DOHaD

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue deals with the effects of maternal nutrition and lifestyle before and during pregnancy on short- and long-term outcomes, for both the mother and offspring.

Correct nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are fundamental elements for the successful outcome of a pregnancy.

Malnutrition, found both in conditions of undernutrition and overnutrition such as obesity, is expanding exponentially worldwide to near-epidemic proportions, representing a significant risk factor for gestational complications and impaired pregnancy outcomes. Additionally, other lifestyle factors, such as inadequate physical activity, stress and poor oral health, can affect the outcomes of a pregnancy. This has short- and long-term negative consequences for both mothers and newborns. The Developmental Origin of Health and Disease model underlines the strong impact that maternal nutritional status and lifestyle can have on the health of future generations, with important socio-economic consequences in all countries of the world.

The prevention of malnutrition and unhealthy behaviors, as well as understanding the mechanisms underlying their association with negative pregnancy outcomes, is therefore of extreme importance for global health and global socio-economic stability.

Among ongoing research, studies on placental alterations, maternal biomarkers and epigenetics are leading to a partial comprehension of the events that come into play in these conditions, which could provide interesting insights for future interventions. However, further investigations also including in vivo and in vitro studies and the use of models such as organoids are necessary.

In this Special Issue of Nutrients, we welcome original research articles, as well as review articles on the current state of research.

Dr. Chiara Mandò
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pregnancy
  • maternal nutrition and lifestyle
  • placenta
  • malnutrition
  • obesity
  • fetal metabolism
  • microbiota
  • gestational complications
  • pregnancy outcomes

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 884 KiB  
Article
Maternal BMI and Diet Quality Modulate Pregnancy Oxidative and Inflammatory Homeostasis
by Chiara Mandò, Chiara Novielli, Anna Maria Nuzzo, Francesca Parisi, Laura Moretti, Fabrizia Lisso, Alberto Revelli, Valeria M. Savasi, Arianna Laoreti, Gaia M. Anelli, Alessandro Rolfo and Irene Cetin
Nutrients 2025, 17(16), 2590; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17162590 - 9 Aug 2025
Viewed by 351
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Maternal nutrition and pregestational BMI are critical determinants of pregnancy outcomes. This prospective multicenter observational study investigated the interplay between prepregnancy BMI, dietary patterns, and oxidative/inflammatory status in 153 Italian healthy pregnant women with normal weight (NW), overweight (OW), or obesity (OB). [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Maternal nutrition and pregestational BMI are critical determinants of pregnancy outcomes. This prospective multicenter observational study investigated the interplay between prepregnancy BMI, dietary patterns, and oxidative/inflammatory status in 153 Italian healthy pregnant women with normal weight (NW), overweight (OW), or obesity (OB). Methods: Detailed clinical, biochemical, placental, and neonatal data were measured at third trimester and delivery. Dietary intake was assessed via a validated questionnaire, and dietary patterns were derived using principal component analysis. Results: OW and OB women had significantly higher levels of inflammatory (CRP, hepcidin) and oxidative stress biomarkers (DNA/RNA damage, catalase activity) than NW. Multivariate models confirmed independent associations between BMI and these biomarkers (CRP: β = 0.297, p = 0.000; hepcidin: β = 1.419, p = 0.006; DNA/RNA damage: β = 409.9, p = 0.000; catalase activity: β = 1.536, p = 0.000). Superoxide dismutase activity and total antioxidant capacity were not associated with BMI. Nutritional intake across BMI groups was largely suboptimal relative to national recommendations, with insufficient levels of polyunsaturated fats and key micronutrients. Four dietary patterns were identified, with adherence varying by BMI. A “prudent-style” pattern (high plant, low animal) was positively associated with gestational age (β = 0.243, p = 0.033) and inversely with neonatal head circumference (β = −0.414, p = 0.050). A “Western-like” pattern (high sugars, snacks, animal fats) was linked to reduced maternal ferritin (β = −2.093, p = 0.036) and increased neonatal head circumference (β = 0.403, p = 0.036). However, not all deviations from the “prudent-style” pattern were metabolically equivalent: while Pattern 3 (high-protein, carbohydrate) may offer partial protective effects, Pattern 4 (moderate protein/plant/sugar) displayed elements of nutritional imbalance with signs of placental inefficiency (β = −0.384, p = 0.023). Conclusions: These findings underscore the dual impact of maternal BMI and diet quality on oxidative-inflammatory balance and perinatal outcomes, supporting the need for early, individualized nutritional strategies in pregnancy. This is further emphasized by the variability in dietary adherence across BMI categories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Maternal Nutrition and Lifestyle before and during Pregnancy on Short- and Long-Term Outcomes)
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16 pages, 3021 KiB  
Article
From Mother to Child: Epigenetic Signatures of Hyperglycemia and Obesity during Pregnancy
by Marica Franzago, Paola Borrelli, Marta Di Nicola, Pierluigi Cavallo, Ebe D’Adamo, Luciano Di Tizio, Diego Gazzolo, Liborio Stuppia and Ester Vitacolonna
Nutrients 2024, 16(20), 3502; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16203502 - 16 Oct 2024
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2128
Abstract
Background: In utero exposure to maternal hyperglycemia and obesity can trigger detrimental effects in the newborn through epigenetic programming. We aimed to assess the DNA methylation levels in the promoters of MC4R and LPL genes from maternal blood, placenta, and buccal swab samples [...] Read more.
Background: In utero exposure to maternal hyperglycemia and obesity can trigger detrimental effects in the newborn through epigenetic programming. We aimed to assess the DNA methylation levels in the promoters of MC4R and LPL genes from maternal blood, placenta, and buccal swab samples collected in children born to mothers with and without obesity and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). Methods: A total of 101 Caucasian mother–infant pairs were included in this study. Sociodemographic characteristics, clinical parameters, physical activity, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet were evaluated in the third trimester of pregnancy. Clinical parameters of the newborns were recorded at birth. Results: A negative relationship between MC4R DNA methylation on the fetal side of the GDM placenta and birth weight (r = −0.630, p = 0.011) of newborns was found. MC4R DNA methylation level was lower in newborns of GDM women (CpG1: 2.8% ± 3.0%, CpG2: 3.8% ± 3.3%) as compared to those of mothers without GDM (CpG1: 6.9% ± 6.2%, CpG2: 6.8% ± 5.6%; p < 0.001 and p = 0.0033, respectively), and it was negatively correlated with weight (r = −0.229; p = 0.035), head circumference (r = −0.236; p = 0.030), and length (r = −0.240; p = 0.027) at birth. LPL DNA methylation was higher on the fetal side of the placenta in obese patients as compared to normal-weight patients (66.0% ± 14.4% vs. 55.7% ± 15.2%, p = 0.037), and it was associated with maternal total cholesterol (r = 0.770, p = 0.015) and LDL-c (r = 0.783, p = 0.012). Conclusions: These results support the role of maternal MC4R and LPL methylation in fetal programming and in the future metabolic health of children. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Maternal Nutrition and Lifestyle before and during Pregnancy on Short- and Long-Term Outcomes)
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