Maternal dietary selenium intake during pregnancy is associated with higher birth weight and lower risk of small for gestational age births in the norwegian mother, father and child cohort study
Journal article, 2021

Selenium is an essential trace element involved in the body’s redox reactions. Low selenium intake during pregnancy has been associated with low birth weight and an increased risk of children being born small for gestational age (SGA). Based on data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN), we studied the association of maternal selenium intake from diet and supplements during the first half of pregnancy (n = 71,728 women) and selenium status in mid-pregnancy (n = 2628 women) with birth weight and SGA status, according to population-based, ultrasound-based and customized growth standards. An increase of one standard deviation of maternal dietary selenium intake was associated with increased birth weight z-scores (ß = 0.027, 95% CI: 0.007, 0.041) and lower SGA risk (OR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.86, 0.97) after adjusting for confounders. Maternal organic and inorganic selenium intake from supplements as well as whole blood selenium concentration were not associated with birth weight or SGA. Our results suggest that a maternal diet rich in selenium during pregnancy may be beneficial for foetal growth. However, the effect estimates were small and further studies are needed to elucidate the potential impact of selenium on foetal growth.

Birth weight

Medical Birth Registry of Norway

MoBa

Selenium

Intrauterine growth

MBRN

The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort study

Author

Pol Sole-Navais

University of Gothenburg

Anne-Lise Brantsaeter

Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Ida Henriette Caspersen

Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Thomas Lundh

Lund University

L. J. Muglia

Burroughs Wellcome Fund

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Helle M Meltzer

Norwegian Institute of Public Health

G. Zhang

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Bo Jacobsson

Norwegian Institute of Public Health

University of Gothenburg

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Verena Sengpiel

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

University of Gothenburg

Malin Barman

Chalmers, Biology and Biological Engineering, Food and Nutrition Science

Karolinska Institutet

Nutrients

2072-6643 (ISSN) 20726643 (eISSN)

Vol. 13 1 1-16 23

Maternal selenium intake and status during pregnancy in relation to pregnancy, neonatal and child outcomes

The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg (2017-054), 2018-01-01 -- 2018-12-31.

Stiftelsen Wilhelm och Martina Lundgrens Vetenskapsfond (2017-1788), 2018-01-01 -- 2018-12-31.

Subject Categories

Pediatrics

Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine

Nutrition and Dietetics

DOI

10.3390/nu13010023

PubMed

33374667

More information

Latest update

10/9/2023