The intrauterine environment may be related to the future development of chronic diseases in the offspring. The St. Carlos gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) prevention study, is a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the influence of the early (before 12th gestational week) Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) on the onset of GDM and adverse gestational outcomes. Out of 874 women assessed after delivery (440 control group (CG)/434 intervention group (IG)), 703 children were followed (365/338; CG/IG), with the aim to assess whether the adherence to a MedDiet during pregnancy induces health benefits for the offspring during the first two years of life. Logistic regression analysis showed that the IG in children of mothers with pre-gestational body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2 and normal glucose tolerance (NGT), was associated with a lower risk (RR(95% CI)) of suffering from severe events requiring hospitalization due to bronchiolitis/asthma (0.75(0.58-0.98) and 0.77(0.59-0.99), respectively) or other diseases that required either antibiotic (0.80(0.65-0.98) and 0.80(0.65-0.99), respectively), corticosteroid treatment (0.73(0.59-0.90) and 0.79(0.62-1.00) respectively) or both (all p < 0.05). A nutritional intervention based on the MedDiet during pregnancy is associated with a reduction in offspring's hospital admissions, especially in women with pre-gestational BMI < 25 kg/m2 and NGT.
Keywords: Mediterranean diet; glucose tolerance; nutritional intervention; obesity; offspring; pregnancy nutrition.