Clinical Question:
Does a cholesterol-lowing diet, rich in unsaturated fat, affect maternal or
neonatal lipid profile or pregnancy outcomes?
Bottom Line:
A cholesterol-lowering diet may modify maternal lipid levels but not cord
and neonatal lipids. The marked observed effect of this diet on the
reduction of preterm delivery in low-risk pregnancies should encourage
future larger studies to clarify the role of such a diet in the prevention
of preterm birth.
Reference
Khoury J, Henriksen T, Christophersen B, Tonstad S. Effect of a
cholesterol-lowering diet on maternal, cord, and neonatal lipids, and
pregnancy outcome: A randomized clinical trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol
2005;193:1292-301.
Study design: Randomized controlled trial (single-blinded)
Setting: Outpatient (primary care)
Synopsis:
We assessed the effect of a cholesterol-lowering diet on maternal, cord, and
neonatal plasma lipids and pregnancy outcome. Nonsmoking white women with
singleton pregnancies (n = 290), aged 21 to 38 years, and with no previous
pregnancy-related complications, were randomized to either continue their
usual diet or to adopt a diet that promoted fish, low-fat meats and dairy
products, oils, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes from
gestational week 17 to 20 to birth. Maternal total and low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lowered in the intervention compared
with the control group (P < .01). Lipid levels in cord blood and in neonates
born to mothers in the intervention versus the control groups did not
differ. In the intention-to-treat cohort 1 (0.7%) of 141 women in the
intervention group versus 11 (7.4%) of 149 women in the control group
delivered before 37 weeks (RR 0.10; 95% CI 0.01-0.77). The incidence of
other pregnancy complications and birth weight was similar in both groups. |