Research

Hormonal

Higher maternal intake of protein and fat during pregnancy is associated with higher offspring intake of the same nutrients at age 10, suggesting in utero programming of appetite.

Maternal nutrition during pregnancy, specifically protein and fat intake, appears to influence the child's appetite and food preferences later in life. While this does not mean parents should restrict these nutrients, it suggests that a balanced, nutrient-dense diet during pregnancy may help establish healthier eating patterns in the child.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Maternal dietary intakes of protein, fat (when adjusted for energy intake), and carbohydrate in pregnancy were positively associated with child dietary intakes of the same nutrients... The stronger prenatal maternal associations with child dietary intake, particularly protein and fat, compared with both paternal intake associations and maternal postnatal intake associations provide some evidence for in utero programming of offspring appetite by maternal intake during pregnancy.
Marie‐Jo Brion et al. · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · 2010

Why this rating

Prospective cohort study with large sample size (n=5717) and rigorous adjustment for confounders, though observational design limits causal certainty.

Source

Maternal macronutrient and energy intakes in pregnancy and offspring intake at 10 y: exploring parental comparisons and prenatal effects

Marie‐Jo Brion et al. · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · 2010

DOI 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28623

cohort · n=5717Cited 175×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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