To date, limited evidence suggests that maternal preconception and pregnancy dietary patterns are associated with reduced risks of adverse maternal and child health outcomes such as gestational diabetes mellitus and preterm birth. However, there are insufficient studies examining preconception and pregnancy dietary patterns on birth weight outcomes such as gestational-age birth weight for any conclusion to be made. Additionally, there is a relative paucity of studies investigating preconception, postpartum, and beyond postpartum dietary patterns.
Recent research has advanced from examining each modifiable lifestyle factor singly (e.g. diet, physical activity, smoking) towards a holistic approach of examining multiple lifestyle factors using composite healthy lifestyle scores. Two large-scale mother-offspring cohorts in Ireland and the United States have shown that adherence to a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and beyond pregnancy is associated with reduced risks of adverse offspring birth outcomes and childhood obesity. These findings are consistent with data obtained from cross-sectional studies based in China and Tanzania.
The current literature highlights the potential benefits of adopting healthy dietary patterns or optimizing multiple lifestyle behaviors to prevent adverse maternal and child health outcomes. Yet, there is a need for more studies on diverse populations (including minority women and those of lower socioeconomic status) to strengthen existing findings and enable strong conclusions to be drawn.
This research topic aims to collate the latest research examining the role of maternal dietary and/or lifestyle patterns on subsequent maternal and child outcomes, especially among understudied populations such as Asian women or women of minority ethnic groups.
In this Research Topic, we would like to highlight original research articles and reviews (scoping reviews, narrative reviews, systematic reviews, and/or meta-analysis) that address maternal dietary and/or lifestyle patterns with subsequent maternal-child health outcomes. This includes, but is not limited to, human studies that examine dietary and lifestyle behaviors/patterns during the:
• Preconception period (Prior to a pregnancy)
• Pregnancy period (Early, Mid and Late pregnancy)
• Postpartum period (Immediately after childbirth up to 3 months post-delivery)
• Beyond the postpartum period
We also welcome submissions from human dietary and lifestyle intervention studies/study protocols or descriptive studies on maternal and/or child dietary or lifestyle patterns. Studies involving prospective/longitudinal study designs are particularly encouraged.
We hope that our Special Issue will uncover the latest research in this area and foster research collaboration across existing maternal-offspring cohorts.
To date, limited evidence suggests that maternal preconception and pregnancy dietary patterns are associated with reduced risks of adverse maternal and child health outcomes such as gestational diabetes mellitus and preterm birth. However, there are insufficient studies examining preconception and pregnancy dietary patterns on birth weight outcomes such as gestational-age birth weight for any conclusion to be made. Additionally, there is a relative paucity of studies investigating preconception, postpartum, and beyond postpartum dietary patterns.
Recent research has advanced from examining each modifiable lifestyle factor singly (e.g. diet, physical activity, smoking) towards a holistic approach of examining multiple lifestyle factors using composite healthy lifestyle scores. Two large-scale mother-offspring cohorts in Ireland and the United States have shown that adherence to a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and beyond pregnancy is associated with reduced risks of adverse offspring birth outcomes and childhood obesity. These findings are consistent with data obtained from cross-sectional studies based in China and Tanzania.
The current literature highlights the potential benefits of adopting healthy dietary patterns or optimizing multiple lifestyle behaviors to prevent adverse maternal and child health outcomes. Yet, there is a need for more studies on diverse populations (including minority women and those of lower socioeconomic status) to strengthen existing findings and enable strong conclusions to be drawn.
This research topic aims to collate the latest research examining the role of maternal dietary and/or lifestyle patterns on subsequent maternal and child outcomes, especially among understudied populations such as Asian women or women of minority ethnic groups.
In this Research Topic, we would like to highlight original research articles and reviews (scoping reviews, narrative reviews, systematic reviews, and/or meta-analysis) that address maternal dietary and/or lifestyle patterns with subsequent maternal-child health outcomes. This includes, but is not limited to, human studies that examine dietary and lifestyle behaviors/patterns during the:
• Preconception period (Prior to a pregnancy)
• Pregnancy period (Early, Mid and Late pregnancy)
• Postpartum period (Immediately after childbirth up to 3 months post-delivery)
• Beyond the postpartum period
We also welcome submissions from human dietary and lifestyle intervention studies/study protocols or descriptive studies on maternal and/or child dietary or lifestyle patterns. Studies involving prospective/longitudinal study designs are particularly encouraged.
We hope that our Special Issue will uncover the latest research in this area and foster research collaboration across existing maternal-offspring cohorts.
