title: Pre-pregnancy obesity and maternal nutritional biomarker status during pregnancy: a factor analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pre-pregnancy obesity has been associated with adverse birth outcomes. Poor essential fatty acid (EFA) and micronutrient status during pregnancy may contribute to these associations. We assessed the associations between pre-pregnancy BMI and nutritional patterns of maternal micronutrient and EFA status during mid-pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional analysis from a prospective cohort study. Women provided non-fasting blood samples at ≥ 20 weeks’ gestation that were assayed for red cell EFA; plasma folate, homocysteine and ascorbic acid; and serum retinol, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, a-tocopherol, soluble transferrin receptors and carotenoids. These nutritional biomarkers were employed in a factor analysis and three patterns were derived: EFA, Micronutrients and Carotenoids.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Study, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant women (n 129).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for parity, race/ethnicity and age, obese pregnant women were 3.0 (95% CI 1.1, 7.7) times more likely to be in the lowest tertile of the EFA pattern and 4.5 (95% CI 1.7, 12.3) times more likely to be in the lowest tertile of the Carotenoid pattern compared with their lean counterparts. We found no association between pre-pregnancy obesity and the Micronutrient pattern after confounder adjustment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that obese pregnant women have diminished EFA and carotenoid concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Tomedi
authors.forename: Chung-Chou H
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Newby
authors.forename: Rhobert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Luther
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wisner
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bodnar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000097:blood; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000097:blood; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D018977:Micronutrients; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D006710:Homocysteine; D014801:Vitamin A; D014807:Vitamin D; D002338:Carotenoids; D005492:Folic Acid; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid