Duration of pregnancy in relation to seafood intak

Authors: Sjurdur F Olsen Marie Louise Østerdal Jannie Dalby Salvig Ulrik Kesmodel Tine Brink Henriksen Morten Hedegaard Niels Jørgen Secher

Publish Date: 2006/11/17

Volume: 21, Issue: 10, Pages: 749-758

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Abstract

We examined the association between exposure to seafood intake during two periods of pregnancy on the one hand and risks of preterm delivery and postterm delivery on the other In a prospective cohort of 8729 pregnant Danish women we assessed frequency of fish meals during the first and second trimester of pregnancy by questionnaires completed around gestation weeks 16 and 30 respectively When fish intake was based solely on intake reported for the early period of pregnancy mean gestation length was shorter by 391 95 CI 224–558 days and odds of preterm delivery were increased 238 123–461 times in those who never consumed fish n = 308 vs those who consumed both fish as main meal and fish in sandwiches at least once per week n = 785 These measures were similar when fish intake was based solely on intake reported for midpregnancy In the subgroup of women reporting same intake in the two trimesters those who never consumed fish n = 165 had 857 546–117 days shorter mean gestation and 196 232–165 times increased odds of preterm delivery compared to high fish consumers n = 127 odds of elective and postterm delivery were reduced by a factor 033 011–102 and 034 012–095 respectively in zero fish consumers All analyses were adjusted for potential confounding by factors such as maternal smoking height and prepregnant weight We conclude that never consuming fish in the first two trimesters of pregnancy was an extremely strong risk factor for preterm delivery but was also associated with reduced risks of elective delivery and postterm delivery

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