Sidra Medicine, part of Qatar Foundation, is advancing research in precision nutrition to enhance maternal and child healthcare by exploring how a mother’s diet during pregnancy influences both immediate pregnancy outcomes and the long-term health of her child. The institution’s Precision Nutrition Laboratory has recently published two studies that investigate the role of maternal nutrition in fetal development through epigenetic modifications—mechanisms that affect gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence.
The first study, appearing in npj Science of Food, examined the connection between maternal nutrient intake and preterm birth. Researchers found that women delivering prematurely had diets significantly lower in protein, vitamins, and essential minerals compared to those who had full-term pregnancies. The study also identified specific epigenetic changes in the placenta and umbilical cord blood, especially in genes related to fetal development and immune function. These results suggest that inadequate protein consumption during pregnancy might induce biological modifications linked to a higher risk of preterm birth, potentially paving the way for earlier detection of pregnancies at risk.
The second study, published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, focused on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a prevalent pregnancy complication globally. Findings revealed that mothers with GDM consumed greater amounts of saturated fats and had lower levels of vitamin D and folate than mothers with healthy pregnancies. This research further demonstrated broad epigenetic changes impacting genes involved in insulin regulation and glucose metabolism, including ZFP57, indicating that maternal diet could affect a child’s future metabolic health and elevate the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
According to Dr. Annalisa Terranegra, head of the Precision Nutrition Laboratory at Sidra Medicine, nutrition is a fundamental influence on human health from the earliest stages of life. She explained that understanding how dietary factors affect gene regulation during pregnancy could lead to personalized nutritional guidance aimed at preventing pregnancy complications and promoting healthier outcomes for children throughout their lives.
Dr. Ibrahim Mamoun Ibrahim, senior attending physician in endocrinology and lead for Diabetes in Pregnancy at Sidra Medicine, emphasized that gestational diabetes is both common and largely preventable with timely nutritional support. He highlighted that these studies underscore nutrition not merely as lifestyle advice but as a critical component of medical care during pregnancy.
Sidra Medicine is also conducting ongoing research into how the types and quality of dietary fats consumed during pregnancy may influence early brain development and the potential risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These efforts contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting the role of targeted nutritional interventions to improve maternal and child health outcomes.