Rui Zhao1, Qin Gao2, Ting Xiong1, Juan Zhou1, Shanshan Wang1, Zhen Zhang1, Yatan Du1, Huihui Xie1, Xiuzhi Chen1, Jian Shen3, Weizhen Han3, Xuefeng Yang1, Liping Hao4. 1. Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. 2. Department of Public Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong, China. 3. The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, Hubei, China. 4. Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. Electronic address: haolp@mails.tjmu.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have found that maternal fish intake is associated with fetal growth, the role of freshwater fish intake remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to examine the relationships of freshwater fish and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) intake with the risk of small for gestational age (SGA) in Chinese pregnant women. DESIGN: This was a prospective analysis of data from the Tongji Birth cohort in Wuhan, China, from 2018 to 2021. PARTICIPANTS/SETTINGS: This study included 1,701 pregnant women who had completed a food frequency questionnaire dietary assessment during mid-pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intake of fish was assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Total intake of n-3 PUFAs was the sum of data collected from both dietary and supplemental sources of n-3 PUFAs. Birth information was extracted from medical records. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to estimate odds ratios and 95% CIs. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) intake of freshwater fish and total n-3 PUFAs was 12.1 (4.3 to 26.4) g/d and 68.2 (24.5 to 370.0) mg/d, respectively. Moderate intake of freshwater fish was associated with reduced risk of SGA. Compared with the lowest quintile (0-3.2 g/d), the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio for women in the fourth quintile of freshwater fish intake (17.9 to 30.0 g/d) was 0.50 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.96). We found a nonlinear association between freshwater fish intake and SGA risk (Pnonlinearity = .027). However, maternal n-3 PUFAs intake was not significantly associated with SGA risk, either from total intake or from dietary sources alone. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate freshwater fish intake during pregnancy is associated with lower risk of SGA in a Chinese population. This finding provides supportive evidence for freshwater fish intake during pregnancy, particularly for the inland areas of developing countries.
BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have found that maternal fish intake is associated with fetal growth, the role of freshwater fish intake remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to examine the relationships of freshwater fish and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) intake with the risk of small for gestational age (SGA) in Chinese pregnant women. DESIGN: This was a prospective analysis of data from the Tongji Birth cohort in Wuhan, China, from 2018 to 2021. PARTICIPANTS/SETTINGS: This study included 1,701 pregnant women who had completed a food frequency questionnaire dietary assessment during mid-pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intake of fish was assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Total intake of n-3 PUFAs was the sum of data collected from both dietary and supplemental sources of n-3 PUFAs. Birth information was extracted from medical records. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to estimate odds ratios and 95% CIs. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) intake of freshwater fish and total n-3 PUFAs was 12.1 (4.3 to 26.4) g/d and 68.2 (24.5 to 370.0) mg/d, respectively. Moderate intake of freshwater fish was associated with reduced risk of SGA. Compared with the lowest quintile (0-3.2 g/d), the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio for women in the fourth quintile of freshwater fish intake (17.9 to 30.0 g/d) was 0.50 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.96). We found a nonlinear association between freshwater fish intake and SGA risk (Pnonlinearity = .027). However, maternal n-3 PUFAs intake was not significantly associated with SGA risk, either from total intake or from dietary sources alone. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate freshwater fish intake during pregnancy is associated with lower risk of SGA in a Chinese population. This finding provides supportive evidence for freshwater fish intake during pregnancy, particularly for the inland areas of developing countries.