Milk consumption during pregnancy is associated with increased infant size at birth: prospective cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Cow milk contains many potentially growth-promoting factors.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to examine whether milk consumption during pregnancy is associated with greater infant size at birth.


METHODS
During 1996-2002, the Danish National Birth Cohort collected data on midpregnancy diet through questionnaires and on covariates through telephone interviews and ascertained birth outcomes through registry linkages. Findings were adjusted for mother's parity, age, height, prepregnant BMI, gestational weight gain, smoking status, and total energy intake; father's height; and family's socioeconomic status The analyses included data from 50,117 mother-infant pairs.


RESULTS
Mean (+/-SD) consumption of milk was 3.1 +/- 2.0 glasses/d. Milk consumption was inversely associated with the risk of small-for gestational age (SGA) birth and directly with both large-for-gestational age (LGA) birth and mean birth weight (P for trend < 0.001). In a comparison of women drinking >or=6 glasses/d with those drinking 0 glasses/d, the odds ratio for SGA was 0.51 (95% CI: 0.39, 0.65) and for LGA was 1.59 (1.16, 2.16); the increment in mean birth weight was 108 g (74, 143 g). We also found graded relations (P < 0.001) for abdominal circumference (0.52 cm; 0.35, 0.69 cm), placental weight (26 g; 15, 38 g), birth length (increment: 0.31 cm; 0.15, 0.46 cm), and head circumference (0.13 cm; 0.04, 0.25 cm). Birth weight was related to intake of protein, but not of fat, derived from milk.


CONCLUSIONS
Milk intake in pregnancy was associated with higher birth weight for gestational age, lower risk of SGA, and higher risk of LGA.
Olsen
Sjurdur F
SF
Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. sfo@soci.au.dk
Halldorsson
Thorhallur I
TI
Willett
Walter C
WC
Knudsen
Vibeke K
VK
Gillman
Matthew W
MW
Mikkelsen
Tina B
TB
Olsen
Jørn
J
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000886:Anthropometry; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005320:Fetal Macrosomia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D008892:Milk; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology