Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.2
4.8
Journals
Nutrients
Special Issues
Advances in Maternal Diet and Diet-Related Lifestyles with Maternal and...
nutrients-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Nutrients Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Advances in Maternal Diet and Diet-Related Lifestyles with Maternal and Child Health

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 August 2025 | Viewed by 4189

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiaozhong Wen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York, NY 14214, USA
Interests: maternal and child health; pregnancy; pediatric obesity; dietary; lifestyle; substance use
Dr. Todd C. Rideout

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
Interests: maternal nutrition; fetal programming; dietary lipids; bioactive compounds; animal models

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The maternal nutritional status around the time of pregnancy (e.g., before, during, and after) affects numerous health outcomes for both mothers and babies. Increasing evidence suggests that adherence to a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet during and beyond pregnancy, is associated with reduced risks of adverse offspring birth outcomes and abnormal childhood growth (e.g., wasting, stunting, overweight, and obesity). The relationship between the maternal diet and a child’s health outcomes is often based on a single or a few food items or nutrients. Moreover, dietary patterns can be used to provide a more complete assessment of the maternal diet. Some research highlights the potential benefits of adopting healthy dietary patterns or optimizing multiple lifestyle behaviors to prevent adverse maternal and child health outcomes. In addition, the maternal diet can be influenced by and interact with other lifestyle measures, such as physical activities, sleep, substance use, stress, and socialization. However, there is a need for more studies on diverse populations to strengthen existing findings and enable the drawing of strong conclusions.

This Special Issue will include manuscripts focusing on the latest research, both human and animal, examining the role of the maternal diet and/or other related lifestyle aspects in subsequent maternal and child health outcomes. The presented materials are the result of the international scientific cooperation of experts in these issues and may be useful for clinical practitioners and inspire further innovative research.

Dr. Xiaozhong Wen
Dr. Todd C. Rideout
Guest Editors

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

  • maternal
  • pregnancy
  • preconception
  • postpartum
  • diet
  • dietary patterns
  • healthy lifestyle
  • health outcomes
  • intergenerational
  • developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD)
  • human
  • animal model

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

28 pages, 563 KiB  
Article
Moderate Chili Consumption During Pregnancy Is Associated with a Low Risk of Gestational Diabetes (GDM)
by Xiaozhong Wen, Fatima Makama, Ryan Buzby, Jeremy Nguyen, Rose Durnell, Iyobosa Ekhator, Daren Chan and Todd C. Rideout
Nutrients 2025, 17(6), 1025; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17061025 - 14 Mar 2025
Viewed by 809
Abstract
Background/Objectives: We examined the association between bean consumption and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: We analyzed data from 1397 U.S. pregnant women from Infant Feeding Practices Study II. By using a Diet History Questionnaire, pregnant women were asked about [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: We examined the association between bean consumption and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: We analyzed data from 1397 U.S. pregnant women from Infant Feeding Practices Study II. By using a Diet History Questionnaire, pregnant women were asked about the frequency of consumption and portion size of dried beans, chili, and bean soup over the previous month. They also reported the status of GDM. We used multivariable logistic regression models to examine associations between maternal bean consumption and the risk of GDM, adjusting for socio-demographic and pregnancy-related confounders. Results: Mean bean consumption was low among pregnant women: 0.31 cups/week of dried beans, 0.16 cups/week of chili, and 0.10 cups/week of bean soup. Dried bean consumption was relatively high in Hispanic mothers (mean, 0.65 cups/week) and mothers from the East South Central region (0.44). Chili consumption was relatively high in mothers who were Black (0.33), who did not attend college (0.18), who had a household size of 4+ (0.19), whose household income was <USD 25,000/year (0.20), who were WIC recipients (0.18), or who lived in the East South Central region (0.26). Pregnant women who consumed chili one time per month had a lower risk of GDM, compared with never consumers (3.5% vs. 7.4%; confounder-adjusted odds ratio or OR, 0.37 [95% confidence interval or CI, 0.17–0.79]; p = 0.011). However, there was no significant association between dried bean (6.6% for one time per week or more vs. 7.0% for never; confounder-adjusted OR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.41–1.62]; p-value = 0.569) or bean soup (4.9% for two–three times per month or more vs. 6.6% for never; confounder-adjusted OR, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.05–3.08]; p-value = 0.382) consumption and GDM. Conclusions: Bean consumption during pregnancy is low and varies by socio-demographics in the U.S. A moderate frequency of chili consumption may offer some protection against GDM. Replication is needed in larger cohorts with more diverse populations, detailed measures of bean consumption, gold standards of GDM diagnosis, and experimental design. Research in this field can potentially inform dietary approaches to addressing GDM and related morbidities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Maternal Diet and Diet-Related Lifestyles with Maternal and Child Health)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 735 KiB  
Article
Fish Consumption during Pregnancy in Relation to National Guidance in England in a Mixed-Methods Study: The PEAR Study
by Lucy Beasant, Jenny Ingram and Caroline M. Taylor
Nutrients 2023, 15(14), 3217; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15143217 - 20 Jul 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3014
Abstract
Guidance on foods to limit or avoid in pregnancy is provided on the NHS website for England. Advice on fish consumption is related to exposure to mercury, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, which may have adverse effects on fetal neurodevelopment. Our aim was to [...] Read more.
Guidance on foods to limit or avoid in pregnancy is provided on the NHS website for England. Advice on fish consumption is related to exposure to mercury, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, which may have adverse effects on fetal neurodevelopment. Our aim was to provide evidence on the effectiveness of the guidance in minimising exposure to toxins while maximising nutrient intake in a mixed-methods study. An online questionnaire on fish consumption before/during pregnancy was completed by postpartum women (≤12 months) in England (n = 598). A subsample of participants was invited to take part in an interview (n = 14). Women who ate fish before pregnancy reduced their intakes of both oily and white fish during pregnancy, with some avoiding it altogether. Women did not exceed the limit on tinned tuna, but there was evidence of mis-recall on the suggested limit. Overall intakes of fish were below that recommended during pregnancy (36% compliance for pre-pregnancy consumers). Barriers to fish consumption included risk aversion, confusion over specific details of the guidance, cost, availability, family preferences and smell/taste. Clarity and simplicity of the NHS guidance, with an overall message on the number of portions of fish a week advised prominently shown, would help pregnant women to benefit from the nutrients in fish while minimising exposure to toxins. The guidance on the number of cans of tuna advised per week is poorly recalled and needs to be disseminated accurately. The guidance on shark/marlin/swordfish could receive less prominence as it is rarely eaten by pregnant women in England. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Maternal Diet and Diet-Related Lifestyles with Maternal and Child Health)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop