The topic of the trial lecture is "Discuss the divergent findings on maternal diet and gestational weight gain (GWG) that have been reported in previous observational versus intervention studies".
Evaluation Committee:
- Opponent: Professor Torhallur I. Halldórsson, Dean of Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland
- Opponent: Professor Liv Elin Torheim, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Health, Nutrition and Management, Community Nutrition, HiOA, and Chair of the National Council for Nutrition.
- Chair of the assessment committee: Professor Kristin Haraldstad, Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Agder.
Supervisors:
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Nina Cecilie Øverby, PhD, professor, Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Agder.
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Elling Bere, PhD, professor, Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Agder.
Summary
There is broad agreement that an important foundation for lifelong health is laid in the mother's womb. In fetal life, growth and development are at their most rapid, while all biological systems are being formed. The child's conditions during this phase depend on the mother's nutritional status and health, what the mother eats and how the supply line from mother to child functions.
The last 20-30 years have seen major changes in the population's eating habits. This also affects the unborn child. Most people have ample access to food, far more young women are overweight during pregnancy and a high proportion of pregnant women gain more weight than is recommended during pregnancy. These factors affect both mother and child and can have an impact on the long-term health of both.
Fit for Birth is a large intervention study that has been ongoing among pregnant women in Southern Norway in recent years. The study aims to investigate the extent to which pregnant women follow advice on diet and exercise during pregnancy and whether any changes in diet and activity habits during pregnancy can affect the further health of the mother and child. Over 600 women were included in the study and randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group received dietary advice and an offer of adapted exercise twice a week during pregnancy, while the control group continued with normal pregnancy follow-up. A methodology was developed to investigate whether the participants who received dietary advice changed their diet in a healthier direction after participating in the project. We found that those who had received dietary advice changed their diet more than those who did not. This shows that pregnant women are receptive to dietary advice and that it may be possible to achieve health-promoting changes in their diet if this information is emphasized in prenatal care.
Food production and diet are also a significant source of global climate emissions and environmental destruction. In line with the international agenda, we wanted to investigate whether considerations of prenatal health and considerations of the environment and climate challenges can be reconciled with an environmentally friendly Nordic diet during pregnancy. Based on data from approximately 70,000 mothers and children in the large Norwegian Mother and Child Survey (MoBa), we have looked at the relationship between a potentially environmentally friendly Nordic diet during pregnancy and selected health parameters in mothers and children. The Nordic diet was largely based on foods such as apples, pears, root vegetables, onions, cabbage, wholemeal bread, oatmeal, berries, fish, game, milk and water. Pregnant women who had this type of diet had a lower risk of serious complications such as preeclampsia and premature birth. They also had a lower risk of giving birth to small children regardless of gestational age. Women who were also of normal weight at baseline more often had appropriate weight gain during pregnancy with the Nordic diet. All associations were controlled for a number of other factors that could potentially influence the risk of pregnancy complications.
In short, we have found that first-time pregnant women are willing to change their diet and eating behavior in a health-promoting direction when they receive specific dietary advice during pregnancy. We have also found evidence that considerations for maternal and child health and considerations for the environment can be reconciled by eating food that is largely part of the Nordic cultural heritage and that can be grown, harvested and produced in the Nordic climate. A diet based on regional foods and food production is in line with FAO's recommendations to ensure the planet's ability to feed a growing population.