title: Maternal fat and fatty acid intake and birth outcomes in a South Indian population.
abstract: The quantity and quality of dietary fat during pregnancy play a key role in the growth and development of the fetus. The aim of this study was to examine the association between fat and fatty acid intakes in early pregnancy and birth outcomes in an apparent healthy normal South Indian population.
  
  
  
  The study was a prospective observational cohort of 1838 pregnant women, conducted in South India. Intakes of total fat, saturated fatty acids (SFA) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) were assessed by a validated food-frequency questionnaire, and correlated with birthweight and incidence of small for gestational age (SGA) infants.
  
  
  
  This is a population that traditionally consumes diets that are low in SFA and n-3 PUFA, but high in linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 n-6). The data show that consumption of low SFA was associated with decreased birthweight and an increased risk of SGA [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1, 2.1). Similar results were seen with n-3 PUFA: low intakes of alpha linolenic acid (ALNA, 18:3 n-3) as well as low intakes of long-chain (LC) n-3 PUFA were associated with increased risk of SGA (AOR 1.70; 95% CI: 1.1, 2.6, and AOR 1.27; 95% CI: 1.1, 2.1, respectively). Increased intakes of SFA and ALNA were predominantly associated with lower intakes of cereals and higher intakes of milk and milk products.
  
  
  
  These findings show that higher intakes of SFA and n-3 PUFA in early stages of pregnancy are associated with increased birthweight and reduced incidence of SGA in a South Indian population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, St. John's Research Institute, Bangalore, India indu2004@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Indu
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mani
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, St. John's Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Pratibha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dwarkanath
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, St. John's Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Tinku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Annamma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, St. John's Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Anura V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kurpad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3
keywords: LC n-3 PUFA; Saturated fat; alpha linolenic acid; birthweight