Effects of Mediterranean Diet or Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Prevention of Small-for-Gestational Age Birth Weights in Newborns Born to At-Risk Pregnant Individuals

Being born small for gestational age (SGA) is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality with no effective prevention or therapy. Maternal suboptimal nutrition and high stress levels have been associated with poor fetal growth and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Infants who are small for gestational age (SGA), defined as birth weight below the 10th percentile, account for a large proportion of perinatal mortality and morbidity and poor neurodevelopment in children. There is currently no effective prevention or therapy for SGA. Maternal lifestyle factors, including suboptimal nutrition and high levels of stress, may be associated with SGA and other obstetric complications. This association is thought to potentially be mediated by effects on systemic and placental inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular senescence, all involved in the pathophysiology of SGA. However, no randomized clinical trials have evaluated the effect of interventions aimed at improving diet, reducing stress, or both on preventing SGA. Mediterranean diet interventions may reduce adverse health outcomes, such as cardiovascular events, diabetes, cognitive decline, and other inflammatory-based diseases. Two randomized trials using Mediterranean diet in pregnant women with obesity or “normal weight” reported significant reductions in the incidence of gestational diabetes. Although it was not a primary end point, one of these studies also suggested a reduction in the incidence of SGA. Read more...

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