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Background Studies examining diet and its links to birth outcomes among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations in the United States are scarce. Objectives We aimed to identify prenatal dietary patterns, examine their relationships with birth outcomes, and evaluate the variation of these associations by maternal diabetes status [no diabetes, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preexisting diabetes]. Methods Women in the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) study (n  = 465)—an ongoing, prospective pregnancy cohort of predominantly low-income Hispanic/Latina women in Los Angeles—completed up to two 24-hour dietary recalls in the third trimester of pregnancy. We identified prenatal dietary patterns via factor analysis and evaluated their associations with infant birth weight and gestational age at birth (GA) z-scores, separately, using linear regression, as well as the associations of the dietary patterns with premature births, having an infant that was small for gestational age (SGA), and having an infant that was large for gestational age, using logistic regression and adjusting for relevant covariates. We additionally tested interaction terms between prenatal dietary patterns and maternal diabetes status in separate models. We adjusted for multiple comparisons using the false discovery rate. Results We identified 2 dietary patterns: 1) a dietary pattern of solid fats, refined grains, and cheese (SRC); and 2) a dietary pattern of vegetables, oils, and fruit (VOF). Comparing the highest to lowest quartiles, the VOF was significantly associated with a greater infant birth weight (β = 0.40; 95% CIs: 0.10, 0.70; P trend = 0.011), a greater GA (β = 0.32; 95% CIs: 0.03, 0.61; P trend = 0.036), lower odds of a premature birth (OR = 0.31; 95% CIs: 0.10, 0.95; P trend = 0.049), and lower odds of having an infant that was SGA (OR = 0.18; 95% CIs: 0.06, 0.58; Ptrend  = 0.028). Only among women with GDM, a 1-SD score increase in the prenatal SRC was significantly associated with a lower infant birth weight (β = −0.20; 95% CIs −0.39, −0.02; Pinteraction  = 0.040). Conclusions Among low-income Hispanic/Latina pregnant women, greater adherence to the prenatal VOF may lower the risk of a premature birth and having an infant that is SGA. Greater adherence to the SRC, however, may adversely affect newborn birth weight among mothers with GDM, but future research is needed to verify our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is well documented that persons of color experience disproportionate exposure to environmental contaminants, including air pollution, and have poorer pregnancy outcomes. This study assessed the critical windows of exposure to ambient air pollution on in utero fetal growth among structurally marginalized populations in urban Los Angeles.Methods: Participants (N = 281) from the larger ongoing MADRES pregnancy cohort study were included in this analysis. Fetal growth outcomes were measured on average at 32 [Formula: see text] 2 weeks of gestation by a certified sonographer and included estimated fetal weight, abdominal circumference, head circumference, biparietal diameter and femur length. Daily ambient air pollutant concentrations were estimated for four pollutants (particulate matter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and less than 10 µm (PM10) in aerodynamic diameter, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and 8-h maximum ozone (O3)) at participant residences using inverse-distance squared spatial interpolation from ambient monitoring data. Weekly gestational averages were calculated from 12 weeks prior to conception to 32 weeks of gestation (44 total weeks), and their associations with growth outcomes were modeled using adjusted distributed lag models (DLMs).Results: Participants were on average 29 years [Formula: see text] 6 old and predominately Hispanic (82%). We identified a significant sensitive window of PM2.5 exposure (per IQR increase of 6 [Formula: see text]3) between gestational weeks 4-16 for lower estimated fetal weight [Formula: see text] averaged4-16 = -8.7 g; 95% CI -16.7, -0.8). Exposure to PM2.5 during gestational weeks 1-23 was also significantly associated with smaller fetal abdominal circumference ([Formula: see text] averaged1-23 = -0.6 mm; 95% CI -1.1, -0.2). Additionally, prenatal exposure to PM10 (per IQR increase of 13 [Formula: see text]3) between weeks 6-15 of pregnancy was significantly associated with smaller fetal abdominal circumference ([Formula: see text] averaged6-15 = -0.4 mm; 95% CI -0.8, -0.1).Discussion: These results suggest that exposure to particulate matter in early to mid-pregnancy, but not preconception or late pregnancy, may have critical implications on fetal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]