ASSOCIATION OF ADHERENCE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN AND NORDIC DIET IN LACTATING WOMEN WITH THE INFANTS GROWTH

Background and Aim: Breastfeeding is one of the most important ways of promoting the infant health in human communities. Hence, healthy diet among breastfeeding mothers is important because it can effect on quality and quantity of milk. We aimed to determine the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean (MED) and Nordic diets in breastfeeding mothers and their infant’s growth, at 2 months and 4 months of age.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 292 lactating mothers and their infants. A validated and reliable food frequency questionnaire was used to assess mother’s dietary intakes. MED and Nordic scores were calculated using the Trichopoulou method. Anthropometric indices were measured and International physical activity questionnaire was filled out by participants to evaluate daily physical activity.Results: Lactating mothers in the highest tertile of adherence to the Mediterranean diet compared to those were in the lowest tertile consumed significantly lower amounts of protein, fat, Saturated fatty acids (SFA), cholesterol, but higher amounts of carbohydrate, vitamin C, B1 and B6, whole grains, fish, fruits, and vegetables (P<0.05).Consumption of vitamins A, D and beta-carotene were higher in the third tertile of adherence to the Nordic but not in the MED diet (P<0.05). Results indicated no significant association between adherence to the Mediterranean and Nordic dietary patterns and all infant s growth indices (P> 0.05).Conclusion: It seems that adherence to the Mediterranean and Nordic diets by lactating mothers have no association with growth indices of exclusively breastfed infants. Further investigations are needed to find the probable association.

Keywords:

Mediterranean diet , Nordic diet , lactating mothers , infant , growth , breastfed infant