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Effects of Nutritional Supplementation during Pregnancy on Maternal and Fetal Health Outcomes

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 August 2022) | Viewed by 10353

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Linda Gallo

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Guest Editor

School of Biomedical Sciences Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Interests: pregnancy and fetal programming; nutrition in health and disease; cardiometabolic disease

Dr. Shelley Wilkinson

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Guest Editor

School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Interests: nutrition and maternal health ('The first 1000 days'); digital technologies and platforms to facilitate behaviour change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nutritional supplementation during pregnancy is common practice across the globe. Recommendations differ by country, depending on food supply and population needs. One of the most common population-wide recommendations is folic acid and, in some countries, iodine supplementation. Another common approach is multiple micronutrient supplementation. While multiple micronutrient supplementation can correct maternal nutrient deficiencies, benefits to the child are limited; there are modest improvements to birth weight and little to no effect on survival, growth, body composition, and cardiovascular, respiratory, and cognitive outcomes. This may be due to late commencement, poor adherence, or certain maternal characteristics that negate expected clinical benefits from supplementation. Furthermore, the impact of multiple micronutrient supplementation on maternal and fetal nutrient status is not well understood. Indeed, other supplements, such as calcium and iron, are generally recommended on an individual needs basis and thought to improve pregnancy outcomes. The planned Special Issue will include research topics related to the effects of specific supplements and/or multiple micronutrient supplements during pregnancy on maternal and/or fetal health.

Dr. Linda Gallo
Dr. Shelley Wilkinson
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.

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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

obstetric
supplements
diet
infant
mother

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2555 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Selenium Status and Supplementation Effects in Pregnancy—A Study on Mother–Child Pairs from a Single-Center Cohort

by Dorota Filipowicz, Ewelina Szczepanek-Parulska, Małgorzata Kłobus, Krzysztof Szymanowski, Thilo Samson Chillon, Sabrina Asaad, Qian Sun, Aniceta A. Mikulska-Sauermann, Marta Karaźniewicz-Łada, Franciszek K. Główka, Dominika Wietrzyk, Lutz Schomburg and Marek Ruchała

Nutrients 2022, 14(15), 3082; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14153082 - 27 Jul 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2953

Abstract

The demand for selenium (Se) increases during pregnancy since this element supports child growth, proper neuronal development and maternal thyroid function. The issue is particularly relevant for populations living in areas with a limited selenium supply, where many pregnant women opt for Se supplementation. The efficiency of this measure is unknown, although it seems vital in the prevention of severe Se deficiency. In order to evaluate this hypothesis, an observational study was conducted in Poland, where Se deficiency is prevalent. Pregnant women were invited to participate in the study and provided serum samples at the end of pregnancy (n = 115). Information on the supplemental intake of micronutrients was recorded in a face-to-face interview. In addition, serum samples were isolated from the cord blood of newborns at delivery (n = 112) and included in the analyses. Thyroid hormone status was evaluated by routine laboratory tests, and Se status was determined by total Se and selenoprotein P (SELENOP) concentrations and extracellular glutathione peroxidase (GPX3) activity. The three parameters of Se status correlated strongly within the group of mothers and within the group of newborns, with an additional significant correlation found among mother–child pairs. One-third of mothers reported additional Se intake, mainly as a component of multi-micronutrient supplements, at a mean (±SD) dosage of 42 ± 14 µg Se/day. Despite this regime, most of the women presented an insufficient Se status, with 79% of mothers displaying serum Se concentrations below 70 µg/L (indicating Se deficiency) and 22% showing levels below 45.9 µg/L (severe Se deficiency). The inadequate Se supply was also reflected in relatively low SELENOP concentrations and GPX3 activity. Neither total Se nor SELENOP or GPX3 levels were significantly higher in the group of mothers reporting the intake of supplements than in the non-supplementing group. Nevertheless, elevated SELENOP concentrations were observed in the subgroup receiving supplements with more than 55 µg/day. We conclude that the self-administered supplementation of small Se dosages was not sufficient to achieve replete Se status in the micronutrient scant area. However, the maternal Se deficit measured by either Se, SELENOP or GPX3 was transferred from mothers to the newborns, as the parameters correlated strongly in the mother–newborn pairs of samples. It is vital to re-evaluate the guidelines concerning pregnancy care and monitoring of micronutrient status during pregnancy, in particular in areas where deficiencies are present. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Nutritional Supplementation during Pregnancy on Maternal and Fetal Health Outcomes)

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Review

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18 pages, 999 KiB

Open AccessReview

Relationship between Maternal Vitamin D Levels and Adverse Outcomes

by Heng Zhang, Shumin Wang, Lingjin Tuo, Qixiao Zhai, Jingjing Cui, Daozhen Chen and Dexiang Xu

Nutrients 2022, 14(20), 4230; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14204230 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4193

Abstract

Vitamin D (VD), a fat-soluble vitamin, has a variety of functions that are important for growth and development, including regulation of cell differentiation and apoptosis, immune system development, and brain development. As such, VD status during pregnancy is critical for maternal health, fetal skeletal growth, and optimal pregnancy outcomes. Studies have confirmed that adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preeclampsia, low birth weight, neonatal hypocalcemia, poor postnatal growth, skeletal fragility, and increased incidence of autoimmune diseases, can be associated with low VD levels during pregnancy and infancy. Thus, there is growing interest in the role of VD during pregnancy. This review summarizes the potential adverse health outcomes of maternal VD status during pregnancy for both mother and offspring (gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertensive gestational hypertension, intrauterine growth restriction, miscarriage, stillbirth, and preterm birth) and discusses the underlying mechanisms (regulation of cytokine pathways, immune system processing, internal secretion, placental function, etc.) of VD in regulating each of the outcomes. This review aims to provide a basis for public health intervention strategies to reduce the incidence of adverse pregnancies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Nutritional Supplementation during Pregnancy on Maternal and Fetal Health Outcomes)

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18 pages, 684 KiB

Open AccessReview

Polyphenol Intake in Pregnant Women on Gestational Diabetes Risk and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Offspring: A Systematic Review

by Blanca Salinas-Roca, Laura Rubió-Piqué and Anna Montull-López

Nutrients 2022, 14(18), 3753; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183753 - 11 Sep 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2720

Abstract

The intake of foods containing polyphenols can have a protective role to avoid comorbidities during pregnancy and, at the same time, promote transgenerational health. This review aims to describe the effect of polyphenol intake through supplements or polyphenol-rich foods during pregnancy on the incidence and evolution of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), as well as the link with the neurodevelopment of the fetus. Using PRISMA procedures, a systematic review was conducted by searching in biomedical databases (PubMed, Cinahl and Scopus) from January to June 2022. Full articles were screened (n = 419) and critically appraised. Fourteen studies were selected and were divided into two different thematic blocks considering (i) the effect of polyphenols in GDM and (ii) the effect of GDM to mental disorders in the offspring. A positive relationship was observed between the intake of polyphenols and the prevention and control of cardiometabolic complications during pregnancy, such as GDM, which could be related to thwarted inflammatory and oxidative processes, as well as neuronal factors. GDM is related to a greater risk of suffering from diseases related to neurodevelopment, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder and learning disorder. Further clinical research on the molecule protective mechanism of polyphenols on pregnant women is required to understand the transgenerational impact on fetal neurodevelopment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Nutritional Supplementation during Pregnancy on Maternal and Fetal Health Outcomes)

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