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Maternal gestational weight gain (GWG) is an important determinant of infant birth weight, and having adequate total GWG has been widely recommended. However, the association of timing of GWG with birth weight remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate this association, especially among women with adequate total GWG. In a prospective cohort study, pregnant women's weight was routinely measured during pregnancy, and their GWG was calculated for the ten intervals: the first 13, 14–18, 19–23, 24–28, 29–30, 31–32, 33–34, 35–36, 37–38 and 39–40 weeks. Birth weight was measured, and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and large-for-gestational-age were assessed. Generalized linear and Poisson models were used to evaluate the associations of GWG with birth weight and its outcomes after multivariate adjustment, respectively. Of the 5049 women, increased GWG in the first 30 weeks was associated with increased birth weight for male infants, and increased GWG in the first 28 weeks was associated with increased birth weight for females. Among 1713 women with adequate total GWG, increased GWG percent between 14 and 23 weeks was associated with increased birth weight. Moreover, inadequate GWG between 14 and 23 weeks, compared with the adequate GWG, was associated with an increased risk of SGA (43 (13·7 %) v. 42 (7·2 %); relative risk 1·83, 95 % CI 1·21, 2·76). Timing of GWG may influence infant birth weight differentially, and women with inadequate GWG between 14 and 23 weeks may be at higher risk of delivering SGA infants, despite having adequate total GWG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evidence on the relationship between diet diversity in early life and allergic outcomes was few and inconsistent. We sought to determine the association of food diversity in the first year of life with allergic outcomes in the second year. Methods: Two thousand two hundred fifty‐one mother‐infant pairs from Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort (TMCHC) were involved in the study. Information on complementary foods introduction was obtained by telephone interview at 6‐ and 12‐month postpartum follow‐up. Any doctor‐diagnosed allergic diseases in the second year were recorded at 2‐year postpartum follow‐up. Food allergies in infancy were assessed and self‐reported by mothers at each postpartum follow‐up. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the effect of food diversity at 6 and 12 months of age on later allergic diseases and food allergy. Results: A total of 135 (6.0%) infants reported allergic diseases at between 1 and 2 years of age. Independent of food allergy history of infants and other potential confounders, less food diversity at 6 months of age was associated with increased risk of later allergic diseases (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.04–4.50 for 0 vs. 3–6 food groups). By 12 months of age, significant inverse associations with later allergic diseases (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.03–5.32 for 1–5 vs. 8–11 food groups, and OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.16–3.37 for 6–7 vs. 8–11 food groups) and food allergy (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.29–3.42 for 1–5 vs. 8–11 food groups) were observed. Children with higher food diversity in both periods had the lowest risk of allergic diseases during the second year of life. Conclusions: A more diverse diet within the first year of life was associated with reduced risk of allergic diseases at 1–2 years of age. Introducing higher diversity of foods from 6 to 12 months of age might be an effective strategy to improve the allergy outcomes of infants in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to evaluate the association of the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during pregnancy and infancy with the risk of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in infants based on a Chinese birth cohort study. Among 4178 infants who constituted the final study population, 46.8% experienced URTI in their first year of life. The hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the risk of URTI were assessed using Cox regression models. Compared with no ETS during pregnancy, continued ETS during pregnancy was independently associated with a higher risk of URTI (HR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.63) after adjustment for potential confounders and also associated with earlier occurrence of URTI (log‐rank P =.002). The association remained consistent across the strata defined according to maternal age, number of siblings, sex, and breastfeeding. Exposure to ETS during infancy was associated with URTI only among infants who were breastfed for less than 12 months (P for interaction < 0.05).Furthermore, infants exposed to ETS during both pregnancy and infancy showed the highest HR of 1.46 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.85) for URTI. Efforts should be made to protect pregnant women and infants from the adverse effects of indoor and outdoor ETS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the association between patterns of gestational weight gain (GWG) and allergic diseases in offspring., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting: Prenatal clinics in Wuhan, China., Population: A cohort of 2546 mother and offspring pairs were enrolled before 16 weeks of gestation and followed up to 24 months postpartum., Methods: Maternal body weights were measured regularly during pregnancy, and their GWG patterns were estimated using the growth mixture model. Robust Poisson models were used to evaluate relative risk (RR) and 95% CI after multivariable adjustment., Main Outcome Measures: Offspring atopic allergy and allergic contact dermatitis were defined according to a physician's diagnosis reported by the mother, and food allergy was reported by the mother., Results: Three GWG patterns were identified: 18.1% (461) of the women were described as pattern 1, characterised by rapid GWG earlier in pregnancy; 56.6% (1442) of the women were described as pattern 2, with steady GWG throughout pregnancy; and 25.3% (643) of the women was described as pattern 3, with rapid GWG later in pregnancy. By the age of 24 months, 360 (14.1%), 109 (4.3%) and 757 (29.7%) offspring had atopic allergy, allergic contact dermatitis or food allergy, respectively. Compared with women in GWG pattern 2, the RRs (95% CIs) among women in pattern 1 were 0.74 (0.55-0.99) for atopic allergy, 0.64 (0.36-1.15) for allergic contact dermatitis and 0.95 (0.81-1.12) for food allergy., Conclusions: Maternal GWG pattern characterised by rapid GWG earlier in pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of atopic allergy in offspring., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)