The Impact of Maternal Plant-Based Diet on Obstetric and Neonatal Outcomes-A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: In the last decades, plant-based diets have gained popularity. Pregnancy is not a contraindication to follow a meat-free diet. This study aimed to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes between women who followed a plant-based diet with those on an omnivore diet. Our second purpose was to investigate the association between physical activity level in combination with diet type and the occurrence of GDM and gestational hypertension. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed electronically via social media. The survey was conducted on a population of Polish women. RESULTS: The final research group included 1015 women. The results showed that a maternal plant-based diet 6 months before pregnancy and during pregnancy does not change the incidence of GDM, anemia, and gestational hypertension. Moreover, no association was found between a diet type before conception and a delivery method or newborn birth weight. Among women who followed an omnivore diet, the risk of GDM was lower in a group with adequate physical activity during 6 months before conception (p = 0.0166). However, the combination of a plant-based diet with adequate activity during the preconception period did not influence GDM incidence. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that a plant-based diet during the preconception period is not worse than an omnivore diet.

Physical Activity during Preconception Impacts Some Maternal Outcomes-A Cross-Sectional Study on a Population of Polish Women.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is an element of a healthy lifestyle and is safe in most pregnancies. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of physical activity levels before and during pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes for both the mother and child. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a population of Polish women. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed electronically via maternity and parental Facebook groups. RESULTS: The final research group included 961 women. The analysis showed that physical activity 6 months before pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but physical activity during pregnancy showed no such association. In all, 37.8% of women with low activity in the first trimester, in comparison to 29.4% of adequately active women, gained an excessive amount of weight during pregnancy (p = 0.0306). The results showed no association between activity level and pregnancy duration, type of delivery or newborn birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that physical activity during the preconception period is crucial to GDM occurrence.