title: Effects of a low-glycemic index diet during pregnancy on offspring growth, body composition, and vascular health: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Elevated maternal blood glucose concentrations may contribute to macrosomia, adiposity, and poorer vascular health in the offspring.
  
  
  
  The aim was to explore the effect of a low-glycemic index (low-GI) diet during pregnancy on offspring growth, adiposity, and arterial wall thickness during infancy.
  
  
  
  This was a longitudinal follow-up study in a self-selected subgroup of mother-infant pairs (n= 59) participating in a larger randomized trial comparing the effects on perinatal outcomes of a low-GI diet and a conventional high-fiber (HF) diet during pregnancy. Infant anthropometric measurements were taken every month for 6 mo and then at 9 and 12 mo of age. Adiposity was assessed at birth and at 3 mo by air-displacement plethysmography by using the Pea Pod system (Cosmed) and at 6 and 12 mo by bioimpedance analysis (Bodystat). Aortic intima-media thickness was assessed at 12 mo by high-resolution ultrasound (Philips).
  
  
  
  Maternal dietary GI was lower in the low-GI group than in the HF group (51 ± 1 compared with 57 ± 1;P< 0.001). No differences in neonatal outcomes were observed in the main trial. In the self-selected subsample, birth weight and length z scores were lower in the low-GI group than in the HF group (birth weight z score: 0.2 ± 0.2 compared with 0.7 ± 0.2, respectively;P= 0.04; birth length z score: 0.3 ± 0.2 compared with 0.9 ± 0.2, respectively;P= 0.04), but adiposity from birth to 12 mo of age and growth trajectories from 1 to 12 mo of age were similar. Aortic intima-media thickness was lower in the low-GI group than in the HF group (657 ±12 compared with 696 ± 12 μm, respectively;P= 0.02), which was partly mediated by differences in birth weight.
  
  
  
  In women at risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, a low-GI diet influences offspring birth weight, birth length, and arterial wall thickness in early childhood, but not adiposity or growth trajectory during the first year of life. This trial was registered at anzctr.org.au as ACTRN12610000681055.
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre; School of Molecular Bioscience;
authors.forename: Nathalie V
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2342-0887
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Kizirian
authors.affiliation: Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise, and Eating Disorders; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia;
authors.forename: Yang
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4215-0122
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre; School of Molecular Bioscience; Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise, and Eating Disorders;
authors.forename: Roslyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muirhead
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre; School of Molecular Bioscience; Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise, and Eating Disorders;
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6509-1677
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brodie
authors.affiliation: The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School; and Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia;
authors.forename: Sarah P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Garnett
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia;
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petocz
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre;
authors.forename: Kyra A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.affiliation: Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia;
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Celermajer
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre; School of Molecular Bioscience;
authors.forename: Jimmy C Y
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7736-605X
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Louie
authors.affiliation: Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise, and Eating Disorders; Department of Endocrinology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; and.
authors.forename: Tania P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Markovic
authors.affiliation: Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Department of Endocrinology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; and.
authors.forename: Glynis P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia.
authors.forename: Leigh C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre; School of Molecular Bioscience; Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise, and Eating Disorders; jennie.brandmiller@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jennie C
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6797-8754
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Brand-Miller
authors.affiliation: Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise, and Eating Disorders;
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2793-2388
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Skilton
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D001724:Birth Weight; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000178:diet therapy; D003927:Diet, Diabetic; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D038321:Glycemic Index; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: body composition; gestational diabetes mellitus; glycemic index; infant; intima-media thickness