Associations of Maternal Consumption of Sugary Beverages in Pregnancy With Infant Weight Status

OBJECTIVES: To examine associations of maternal consump-tion of 100% juice and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in the third trimester of pregnancy with infant weight status at 6 and 12 months. METHODS: We studied 379 mother-infant dyads from Rise & SHINE, a prospective cohort study. Exposures were maternal consumption of 100% juice and SSBs in the third trimester. Out-come measures were infant weight-for-length (WFL) z-scores at 6 and 12 months and rapid infant weight gain (RIWG; change in weight-for-age z-score & GE;0.67) from birth to 6 and 12 months.RESULTS: Mean (SD) maternal age was 32.8 (5.1) years; 71.7% reported household income & GE;$50,000. In the third tri-mester, nearly daily or daily consumption of 100% juice and SSBs was 25.9% and 16.6%, respectively. Mean (SD) WFL z-scores at 6 and 12 months were 0.35 (0.96) and 0.50 (0.98). RIWG was present in 30.2% and 36.6% of infants from birth to 6 months and birth to 12 months, respectively. In multivari-able models, 100% juice consumption was associated with higher WFL z-score at 6 months (b = 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03, 0.49) and higher odds of RIWG from birth to 6 months (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.09; 95%CI: 1.23, 3.56) and birth to 12 months (aOR = 1.85; 95%CI: 1.04, 3.28). 100% juice consumption was not associated with WFL z-score at 12 months and SSB consumption was not associated with any of the outcomes.CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of 100% juice, but not SSBs, in the third trimester of pregnancy is associated with infant weight status at 6 months and RIWG.

Automated summary

This study found that maternal consumption of 100% juice and sugar-sweetened beverages in the third trimester of pregnancy is associated with infant weight status at 6 and 12 months. Specifically, consumption of 100% juice is associated with an increase in weight-for-length z-scores at 6 months and rapid infant weight gain from birth to 6 and 12 months. However, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is not associated with any of these outcomes.