Distribution and association of interpregnancy weight change with subsequent pregnancy outcomes in Asian women.

The extent of interpregnancy weight change and its association with subsequent pregnancy outcomes among Asians remain unclear. We examined changes in maternal body mass index (BMI) between the first two deliveries and outcomes in the second delivery. Medical records of women with their first two consecutive deliveries between 2015 and 2020 at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore were retrieved. Gestational-age-adjusted BMI was determined by standardising to 12 weeks gestation and interpregnancy BMI change was calculated as the difference between both pregnancies. Pregnancy outcomes were analysed using modified Poisson regression models. Of 6264 included women with a median interpregnancy interval of 1.44 years, 40.7% had a stable BMI change within ± 1 kg/m2, 10.3% lost > 1 kg/m2, 34.3% gained 1-3 kg/m2 and 14.8% gained ≥ 3 kg/m2. Compared to women with stable BMI change, those with > 1 kg/m2 loss had higher risk of low birthweight (adjusted risk ratio [RR] 1.36; 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.80), while those with 1-3 kg/m2 gain had higher risks of large-for-gestational-age birth (1.16; 1.03-1.31), gestational diabetes (1.25; 1.06-1.49) and emergency Caesarean delivery (1.16; 1.03-1.31); these risks were higher in those with ≥ 3 kg/m2 gain. Our study strengthens the case for interpregnancy weight management to improve subsequent pregnancy outcomes.

Development and Validation of a Lifestyle Behavior Tool in Overweight and Obese Women through Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches.

There is a paucity of effective intervention tools for overweight/obese women to assess, guide and monitor their eating behavior. This study aimed to develop a lifestyle intervention tool, assess its acceptability and usefulness, and verify its construct validity in overweight/obese women. The 6P tool (Portion, Proportion, Pleasure, Phase, Physicality, Psychology) was developed and 15 women with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 were interviewed to assess its perceived acceptability and usefulness. Subsequently, the revised 6P tool was tested in 46 women with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short (IPAQ), and weight were measured at baseline and one-month. Most participants were satisfied with the presentation of the 6P tool (86.8%), and agreed it was useful in guiding healthy eating (81.6%) and raising awareness of eating behavior (97.4%). There were significant improvements in cognitive restraint (p = 0.010) and disinhibition (p = 0.030) (TFEQ), portion size (P1), pleasure behaviors (P3), and total composite 6P score (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant reduction in weight or increase in physical activity. The 6P tool is acceptable and presents with good validity for assessing lifestyle behaviors.

Implementation of a nutrition screening tool to improve nutritional status of children with cancer in Singapore's largest paediatric hospital.

Poor nutritional status in children with cancer can impact treatment outcomes and mortality. Nutrition screening is a simple yet effective approach to identify malnutrition risk for early intervention. We aim to improve the identification of children with cancer at high risk of malnutrition, so that nutritional intervention and rehabilitation can commence early for these children. Our multidisciplinary team conducted a root cause analysis and concluded that the generic screening tool did not differentiate malnutrition risk for different cancer types, stage and intensity of treatment. Hence, a screening tool that considered the identified factors was tested for reliability and validity first. Subsequently, we used the Plan, Do, Study, Act model with two improvement cycles to put in place a systematic process to facilitate the implementation. The interventions included (1) instituting the tool in the electronic medical records and (2) direct referral to dietitian based on screening score.We compared pre- and post-implementation cohorts and demonstrated better identification of nutritionally at-risk patients (36.4%-85.7%, p<0.001) with the new tool as well as improved timeliness of nutritional intervention (3 days to 1 day from admission, p=0.010). A lower malnutrition rate (17.4%-6.5%, p<0.001) in the postimplementation cohort was also demonstrated. Nutritional intervention within 48 hours of admission led to an overall positive weight change at 3 months (+2.68%, IQR: -1.14 to 9.09 vs -0.43%, -6.60 to 2.29; p=0.036) in the malnourished patients from both cohorts. Further studies will be conducted to evaluate the scale of the effectiveness of early intervention and close nutritional monitoring, in improving the nutritional status of children with cancer. The collaborative partnership among the doctors, nurses and dietitians has helped to streamline and simplify nutrition screening, making it an efficient and sustainable system in our hospital.

A Promising Food-Coaching Intervention Program to Achieve Optimal Gestational Weight Gain in Overweight and Obese Pregnant Women: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Smartphone App.

BACKGROUND: Traditional dietary recommendations for achieving optimal gestational weight gain are ineffective for pregnant women due to the lack of real-time communication and tedious consultation processes. OBJECTIVE: In this pilot study, we aimed to determine the feasibility of a novel food-coaching smartphone app for controlling gestational weight gain and macronutrient intake among overweight and obese pregnant women. METHODS: We designed a randomized controlled trial and recruited 30 overweight and obese pregnant women (1:1 ratio) during 18-20 weeks of gestation and followed them up after 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. Both groups received standard pregnancy dietary orientation at recruitment, while the intervention group received 8 weeks of real-time food coaching via a smartphone app. This food-coaching smartphone app (Glycoleap, Holmusk, Singapore) aimed to improve care and outcomes for people with diabetes. Pregnant women using this app were able to upload food images (eg, a picture of a meal, a drink, or a dessert) and received real-time and detailed food-coaching comments and guidance provided by professional dietitians during the day (8 AM to 8 PM). We recorded detailed characteristics during recruitment and examined anthropometry at all visits. We compared the mean differences of the 8-week gestational weight gain and macronutrient intake between the two groups. RESULTS: Upon study completion, three subjects dropped out from the intervention, and one gave birth prematurely in the control group. The acceptance rate of the smartphone app was 90%. More participants achieved optimal gestational weight gain per week in the intervention group (8/12, 67%) than in the control group (5/14, 36%). After the 8-week intervention, women in the intervention group appeared to have lower gestational weight gain (mean difference=-0.08 kg; 95% CI -1.80 to 1.63) and cholesterol intake (mean difference=-31.73 mg; 95% CI -102.91 to 39.45) than those in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that this food-coaching smartphone app is feasible and favorable for weight gain control and cholesterol intake control among overweight and obese pregnant women. Although our results were not significant (perhaps, attributed to the small sample size), it provided proof of concept for the feasibility of applying such technology in future randomized controlled trials with a larger sample size, an earlier intervention onset, and a longer follow-up for overweight and obese pregnant women.

Health Care Providers' Perceptions of Responsibilities and Resources to Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk After Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

IN BRIEF Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases the risk for type 2 diabetes. This qualitative study aimed to evaluate health care providers' perceptions of care responsibilities and resources related to reducing type 2 diabetes risk among women with previous GDM in Singapore. Health care providers acknowledged a shared responsibility. They felt that they had less understanding of compliance with long-term maintenance of lifestyle change, exacerbated further by fragmentation of follow-up care. The application of more integrated patient-centered care models, combined with greater health literacy, is urgently required in this area.

Food Sources of Energy and Macronutrient Intakes among Infants from 6 to 12 Months of Age: The Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) Study.

Adequate nutrition during complementary feeding is important for the growth, development and well-being of children. We aim to examine the energy and macronutrient intake composition and their main food sources in a mother-offspring cohort study in Singapore. The diets of infants were assessed by 24 h dietary recalls or food diaries collected from mothers when their offspring were 6 (n = 760), 9 (n = 893) and 12 (n = 907) months of age. Food sources of energy and macronutrients were determined using the population proportion methodology. Energy intakes per day (kcal; mean (standard deviation, SD)) of these infants were 640 (158) at 6 months, 675 (173) at 9 months, and 761 (208) at 12 months. Infant formula, breastmilk and infant cereals were the top three food sources of energy and macronutrient intakes in infants through the period 6 to 12 months. Other main energy and carbohydrate sources at 9 and 12 months of age were rice porridge, infant biscuits and fresh fruits, while fish, red meat and eggs were the other main protein and total fat sources. Breast-fed and mixed-fed infants had a more varied diet as compared to formula-fed infants. Formula-fed infants had consistently higher protein and lower total fat consumption compared to those who were breastfed. An understanding of these main food sources during complementary feeding can inform local dietary recommendations and policies.

Higher Maternal Dietary Protein Intake Is Associated with a Higher Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in a Multiethnic Asian Cohort.

Background: Dietary protein may affect glucose metabolism through several mechanisms, but results from studies on dietary protein intake and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have been inconsistent.Objective: We examined the cross-sectional associations of dietary protein intake from different food sources during pregnancy with the risk of GDM in a multiethnic Asian population.Methods: We included 980 participants with singleton pregnancies from the Growing Up in Singapore Toward healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort. Protein intake was ascertained from 24-h dietary recall and 3-d food diaries at 26-28 wk gestation. GDM was defined as fasting glucose ≥7.0 mmol/L and/or 2-h postload glucose ≥7.8 mmol/L at 26-28 wk gestation. We evaluated the association of dietary protein intake with GDM risk by substituting carbohydrate with protein in an isocaloric model with the use of multivariable logistic regression analysis.Results: The prevalence of GDM was 17.9% among our participants. After adjustment for potential confounders, a higher total dietary protein intake was associated with a higher risk of GDM; the OR comparing the highest with the lowest quartile of intake was 2.15 (95% CI: 1.27, 3.62; P-trend = 0.016). Higher intake levels of both animal protein (OR: 2.87; 95% CI: 1.58, 5.20; P-trend = 0.001) and vegetable protein (OR: 1.78; 95% CI: 0.99, 3.20; P-trend = 0.009) were associated with a higher risk of GDM. Among the animal protein sources, higher intake levels of seafood protein (OR: 2.17; 95% CI: 1.26, 3.72; P-trend = 0.023) and dairy protein (OR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.11, 3.15; P-trend = 0.017) were significantly associated with a higher GDM risk.Conclusion: Higher intake levels of both animal and vegetable protein were associated with a higher risk of GDM in Asian women. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01174875.

Nutrition Delivery Affects Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is prevalent in critically ill children. We aim to describe nutrition received by children with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and to determine whether provision of adequate nutrition is associated with improved clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied characteristics and outcomes of 2 groups of patients: (1) those who received adequate calories (defined as ≥80% of predicted resting energy expenditure) and (2) those who received adequate protein (defined as ≥1.5g/kg/d of protein). Outcomes of interest were mortality, ventilator-free days (VFDs), intensive care unit (ICU)-free days, multiorgan dysfunction, and need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Categorical variables were analyzed using the Fisher exact test, and continuous variables were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify associated risk factors related to these outcomes of interest. RESULTS: In total, 107 patients with ARDS were identified. There was a reduction in ICU mortality in patients who received adequate calories (34.6% vs 60.5%, P = .025) and adequate protein (14.3% vs 60.2%, P = .002) compared with those that did not. Patients with adequate protein intake also had more VFDs (median [interquartile range], 12 [3.0-19.0] vs 0 [0.0-14.8] days; P = .005). After adjusting for severity of illness, adequate protein remained significantly associated with decreased mortality (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.09 [0.01-0.94]; P = .044). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that adequate nutrition delivery in children with ARDS was associated with improved clinical outcomes. Protein delivery may have potentially more impact than overall caloric delivery.

Dietary Pattern Trajectories from 6 to 12 Months of Age in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Cohort.

UNLABELLED: Little is known about the dietary patterns of Asian infants in the first year of life, nor of their associations with maternal socio-demographic factors. Based on the Growing Up in Singapore towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) mother-offspring cohort, cross-sectional dietary patterns were derived by factor analysis using 24-h recalls and food diaries of infants at 6-, 9- and 12-months of age. Dietary pattern trajectories were modeled by mapping similar dietary patterns across each age using multilevel mixed models. Associations with maternal socio-demographic variables, collected through questionnaires during pregnancy, were assessed using general linear models. In n = 486 infants, four dietary pattern trajectories were established from 6- to 12-months. Predominantly breastmilk: mainly breastmilk and less formula milk, GUIDELINES: rice porridge, vegetables, fruits and low-fat fish and meat, Easy-to-prepare foods: infant cereals, juices, cakes and biscuits and Noodles (in soup) and seafood: noodle and common accompaniments. In adjusted models, higher maternal education attainment was correlated with higher start scores on Predominantly breastmilk, but lowest education attainment increased its adherence over time. Older mothers had higher start scores on Easy-to-prepare foods, but younger mothers had increased adherence over time. Chinese mothers had higher start scores on Predominantly breastmilk but greater adherence to GUIDELINES over time, while Indian mothers had higher start scores on Easy-to-prepare foods but greater adherence to Predominantly breastmilk with time (p < 0.05 for all). Changes in trajectories over time were small. Hence, dietary patterns established during weaning are strongly influenced by maternal socio-demographic factors and remain stable over the first year of life.

Infant Feeding Practices in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Cohort: The GUSTO Study.

The optimal introduction of complementary foods provides infants with nutritionally balanced diets and establishes healthy eating habits. The documentation of infant feeding practices in multi-ethnic Asian populations is limited. In a Singapore cohort study (GUSTO), 842 mother-infant dyads were interviewed regarding their feeding practices when the infants were aged 9 and 12 months. In the first year, 20.5% of infants were given dietary supplements, while 5.7% took probiotics and 15.7% homeopathic preparations. At age 9 months, 45.8% of infants had seasonings added to their foods, increasing to 56.3% at 12 months. At age 12 months, 32.7% of infants were given blended food, although 92.3% had begun some form of self-feeding. Additionally, 87.4% of infants were fed milk via a bottle, while a third of them had food items added into their bottles. At both time points, more than a third of infants were provided sweetened drinks via the bottle. Infants of Indian ethnicity were more likely to be given dietary supplements, have oil and seasonings added to their foods and consumed sweetened drinks from the bottle (p < 0.001). These findings provide a better understanding of variations in infant feeding practices, so that healthcare professionals can offer more targeted and culturally-appropriate advice.

Survey of contemporary feeding practices in critically ill children in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nutrition is a fundamental component of care of critically ill children. Determining variation in nutritional practices within paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) allows for review and improvement of nutrition practices. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: The aim was to survey the nutrition practices and perspectives of paediatric intensivists and dieticians in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. A questionnaire was developed to collect data on (1) the respondent's and institution's characteristics, (2) nutritional assessments and nutrient delivery practices, and (3) the perceived importance and barriers to optimal enteral feeding in the PICU. RESULTS: We analysed 47 responses from 35 centres in 18 different countries. Dedicated dietetic services were only present in 13 (37%) centres and regular nutrition assessments were conducted in only 12 (34%) centres. In centres with dedicated dieticians, we found greater use of carbohydrate, fat additives and special formulas. Two thirds [31 (66%)] of respondents used total fluids to estimate energy requirements. Only 11 (31%) centres utilized feeding protocols. These centres had higher use of small bowel feeding, acid suppressants, laxatives and gastric residual volume thresholds. When dealing with feed intolerance, they were also more likely to start a motility agent. There was also a lack of consensus on when feeding should start and the use of adjuncts. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition practices and barriers are unique in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and strongly reflect a lack of dietetic services. Future effort should focus on developing a uniform approach on nutrition practices to drive paediatric critical care nutrition research in these regions.

Nutrition biomarkers and clinical outcomes in critically ill children: A critical appraisal of the literature.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Malnutrition can significantly affect clinical outcomes in critically ill children. In view of the limitations of anthropometry, nutrition-related serum biomarkers have been used to assess the degree of malnutrition in the pediatric intensive care unit. The aim of this review is to critically appraise the use of nutrition-related serum biomarkers in predicting clinical outcomes in critically ill children. METHODS: We searched major databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library) using MeSH terms and key words related to "biomarkers", "nutrition" and "critically ill children". All studies that explored the relationship between any nutrition-related serum biomarker and clinical outcomes in critically ill children (1 day-18 years) were included. The clinical outcomes of interest were duration of intensive care unit or hospital stay, duration of mechanical ventilation and mortality. RESULTS: We found one randomized controlled trial and 15 observational studies involving 2068 children. In these 16 studies, 16 different nutritional biomarkers and two nutrition indices were examined. Albumin (n = 7), magnesium (n = 4), transferrin, prealbumin and calcium (n = 3 respectively) were the most commonly studied biomarkers. Seven biomarkers (25-hydroxyvitamin D, albumin, calcium, magnesium, total protein, transferrin, triglycerides) and two indices (modified nutritional index and Onodera's prognostic nutritional index) had positive associations with clinical outcomes. However, no biomarkers or nutrition indices consistently predicted clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Current medical literature does not provide convincing data to demonstrate any association between nutrition-related serum biomarkers and clinical outcomes in critically ill children. Further research is required to identify novel and clinically robust nutrition-related biomarkers.

Dietary changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period in Singaporean Chinese, Malay and Indian women: the GUSTO birth cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in food consumption during pregnancy and the postpartum period in women of major Asian ethnic groups. DESIGN: Using interviewer-administered questionnaires, we assessed changes in food consumption during pregnancy (26-28 weeks' gestation) and the postpartum period (3 weeks after delivery) as compared with the usual pre-pregnancy diet. SETTING: Singapore. SUBJECTS: Pregnant women (n 1027) of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicity (mean age 30·4 (SD 5·2) years) who participated in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) study. RESULTS: During pregnancy, participants tended to increase their consumption of milk, fruit and vegetables and decrease their consumption of tea, coffee, soft drinks and seafood (all P < 0·001). Most participants reported adherence to traditional restrictions ('confinement') during the early postpartum period (Chinese: 94·8 %, Malay: 91·6 %, Indian: 79·6 %). During the postpartum period, participants tended to increase their consumption of fish and milk-based drinks and decrease their consumption of noodles, seafood, and chocolates and sweets (all P < 0·001). Ethnic differences in food consumption were pronounced during the postpartum period. For example, most Chinese participants (87·2 %) increased their ginger consumption during the postpartum period as compared with smaller percentages of Malays (31·8 %) and Indians (40·8 %; P for ethnic difference <0·001). Similar ethnic differences were observed for cooking wine/alcohol, herbs and spices, and herbal tea consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Marked changes in food consumption that reflect both modern dietary recommendations and the persistence of traditional beliefs were observed in Singaporean women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Traditional beliefs should be considered in interventions to improve dietary intakes during these periods.

Protocol-driven enteral nutrition in critically ill children: a systematic review.

Enteral nutrition (EN) protocols are thought to improve clinical outcomes in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU); however, critical evaluation of their efficacy is limited. We conducted a systematic review with the aim of assessing the effect of EN protocols on important clinical outcomes in these children. We searched MEDLINE, Cochrane Database for Reviews, Embase, and CINAHL using predetermined keywords and MESH terms. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies that involved EN protocols in children admitted to the PICU for >24 hours. We included studies that reported at least 1 of our outcomes of interest. Studies that exclusively studied premature neonates or adults were excluded. Primary outcomes were PICU or hospital mortality, PICU or hospital length of stay (LOS), duration of mechanical ventilation, gastrointestinal (GI) complications, and infective complications. Secondary outcomes were time to initiate feeds and time to achieve goal feeds. In total, we included 9 studies (total 1564 children) in our systematic review (1 RCT, 4 before-and-after studies, 1 single-arm cohort study, 1 prospective descriptive study, and 2 audits). There is low-level evidence that the use of EN protocols is associated with a reduction in GI and infective complications and improved timeliness of feed initiation and achievement of goal feeds. Current medical literature does not have compelling data on the effects of an EN protocol on clinical outcomes among critically ill children. Future clinical trials should look into using standardized interventions and outcome measures to strengthen the existing evidence.