Dietary Patterns and Diet Quality before and/or during Pregnancy and How These Affect Birth Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Limited consistent evidence exists on how diet quality before and during pregnancy influences preterm birth and low birthweight risk. This study aims to assess whether diet quality based on dietary patterns before and during pregnancy affects preterm birth and low birthweight risk. We systematically searched 3 electronic databases and 4 registries for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs without restrictions on publication date or language until 22 November, 2024.

Dietary patterns influencing the human colonic microbiota from infancy to centenarian age: a narrative review.

Our dietary choices not only affect our body but also shape the microbial community inhabiting our large intestine. The colonic microbiota strongly influences our physiology, playing a crucial role in both disease prevention and development. Hence, dietary strategies to modulate colonic microbes have gained notable attention.

Design and evaluation of the "Feel Good" feasibility study - a multi-component fruit and vegetable intervention in children measuring cognitive and mental health outcomes.

Background: Observational evidence suggests that increasing fruit and vegetable (FV) intake has the potential to improve children's cognitive function and mental well-being, but this has not yet been empirically tested in intervention research. This study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a multi-component FV intervention which measures mental and cognitive health outcomes in children.

Methods: The 'Feel Good Study' was a cluster-randomised controlled feasibility study conducted in four New Zealand primary schools, with equal allocation of schools to intervention and wait-list control arms.

Five Actions to Strengthen the Nutrition and Dietetics Profession Into the Future: Perspectives From Australia and New Zealand.

Introduction: Forecasting how workforces will meet projected challenges faced by future populations is essential to future-proof professions. This paper aims to describe the specific actions required for nutrition professionals (nutrition scientists, nutritionists, dietitians) to realise the professions' workforce development vision of the future.

Methods: A qualitative interpretive approach was employed.

Dietary patterns of patients with acute coronary syndrome in the multi-ethnic New Zealand study of acute coronary syndromes (MENZACS).

Background And Aims: In Aotearoa-New Zealand (NZ) approximately 8000 people are admitted with a first-time acute coronary syndrome (ACS) annually. In this cross-sectional analysis, we describe the dietary patterns of patients who present with their first ACS and examine their associations with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics.

Methods And Results: The Multi-Ethnic NZ study of Acute Coronary Syndromes (MENZACS) is a multi-centre, longitudinal cohort study of patients with first-time ACS.

Complementary foods in infants: an study of the faecal microbial composition and organic acid production.

The transition from breastmilk to complementary foods is critical for maturing the colonic microbiota of infants. Dietary choices at weaning can lead to long-lasting microbial changes, potentially influencing health later in life. However, the weaning phase remains underexplored in colonic microbiome research, and the current understanding of how complementary foods impact the infant's colonic microbiota is limited.

The effect of complementary foods on the colonic microbiota of weaning infants: a systematic review.

The transition from breastmilk to solid foods (weaning) is a decisive stage for the development of the colonic microbiota. However, little is known about how complementary foods influence the composition and function of the colonic microbiota in infants. This systematic review collected evidence of the effect of individual foods on the fecal microbiota of weaning infants (4-12 months old) using five databases: PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect.

The effect of fruits and vegetables on children's mental and cognitive health: A systematic review of intervention studies and perspective for future research.

Objectives: To synthesize evidence from fruit and vegetable intervention studies investigating mental or cognitive health outcomes (or both) in children ≤10 y. Our aim was to understand the efficacy of such interventions in improving measures of cognitive performance or mental health and to identify successful intervention elements to inform future research.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the Cochrane, Embase, PubMed, and CINAHL databases for articles published before August 2022 (PROSPERO registration no.

Public perceptions of dietetics services in Australia and New Zealand.

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine expectations, perceptions and attitudes about dietetics services among the Australian and New Zealand public, to provide insights for building a future dietetics workforce that will meet consumer needs.

Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous, online survey was employed to gain perspectives of a representative sample of Australian and New Zealand adults. Questions were purposely designed to collect views regarding sources of dietary information, expectations of dietetics service providers and factors influencing choice of dietetics service provider.

Nourishing the Infant Gut Microbiome to Support Immune Health: Protocol of SUN (Seeding Through Feeding) Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The introduction of complementary foods during the first year of life influences the diversity of the gut microbiome. How this diversity affects immune development and health is unclear.

Objective: This study evaluates the effect of consuming kūmara or kūmara with added banana powder (resistant starch) compared to a reference control at 4 months post randomization on the prevalence of respiratory tract infections and the development of the gut microbiome.

Food-breastmilk combinations alter the colonic microbiome of weaning infants: an study.

The introduction of solid foods to infants, also known as weaning, is a critical point for the development of the complex microbial community inhabiting the human colon, impacting host physiology in infancy and later in life. This research investigated the impact of food-breastmilk combinations on growth and metabolite production by colonic microbes of New Zealand weaning infants using the metagenome-scale metabolic model named Microbial Community. Eighty-nine foods were individually combined with breastmilk, and the 12 combinations with the strongest influence on the microbial production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) were identified.

Development of an Aotearoa New Zealand adapted Mediterranean dietary pattern and Kai/food basket for the He Rourou Whai Painga randomised controlled trial.

Background: Following a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. He Rourou Whai Painga is a dietary intervention trial with behaviour change support that seeks to determine whether a MedDiet pattern can provide equivalent benefits in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), a country where cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death. To do this, the MedDiet needs to be adapted in an acceptable way for NZ, with consideration of the Māori (indigenous) population.

Food neophobia scores at 8 Years and associations with nutrition-related behaviors at home in early life: Findings from a New Zealand contemporary birth cohort.

Food neophobia (FN) reduces nutritional adequacy and variety which poses a significant concern for children's health and well-being We described the FN scores among 8-year-olds and examined its associations with nutrition-related behaviors at 45 months within the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort (n = 4621). FN was estimated using the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS). Mean FNS scores between variable categories were compared using t-tests for independent samples and ANOVA.

DIGIPREDICT: physiological, behavioural and environmental predictors of asthma attacks-a prospective observational study using digital markers and artificial intelligence-study protocol.

Introduction: Asthma attacks are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality but are preventable in most if detected and treated promptly. However, the changes that occur physiologically and behaviourally in the days and weeks preceding an attack are not always recognised, highlighting a potential role for technology. The aim of this study 'DIGIPREDICT' is to identify early digital markers of asthma attacks using sensors embedded in smart devices including watches and inhalers, and leverage health and environmental datasets and artificial intelligence, to develop a risk prediction model to provide an early, personalised warning of asthma attacks.

Maternal determinants of dietary patterns in infancy and early childhood in the Growing up in New Zealand cohort.

Given the importance of diet in early life, assessing children's diet is crucial to guide interventions. Using data from a nationally generalizable New Zealand (NZ) birth cohort we examined children's dietary patterns at 9- (n = 6259), 24- (n = 6292), and 54-months (n = 6131), and their association with maternal sociodemographic and health behaviours. At each time-point, children's dietary patterns were identified using principal components analysis.

Vitamin B and One-Carbon Metabolite Profiles Show Divergent Associations with Cardiometabolic Risk Markers but not Cognitive Function in Older New Zealand Adults: A Secondary Analysis of the REACH Study.

Background: Vitamin B inadequacies and elevated homocysteine status have been associated with impaired cognitive and cardiometabolic health with aging. There is, however, a scarcity of research investigating integrated profiles of one-carbon (1C) metabolites in this context, including metabolites of interconnected folate, methionine, choline oxidation, and transsulfuration pathways.

Objectives: The study aimed to examine associations between vitamins B and 1C metabolites with cardiometabolic health and cognitive function in healthy older adults, including the interactive effects of Apolipoprotein E-ε4 status.

Evaluation of Preconception Dietary Patterns in Women Enrolled in a Multisite Study.

Background: Diet indices are widely used in nutritional research across communities but do not "capture" the full extent of diet variability across multiple countries. Empirically derived dietary patterns can provide additional information because they reflect combinations of foods potentially associated with health outcomes. Limited studies have evaluated preconception dietary patterns in heterogeneous populations.

Child feeding indexes measuring adherence to New Zealand nutrition guidelines: Development and assessment.

New Zealand (NZ) lacks nationally representative or generalisable information on the dietary intakes of pre-schoolers. We used Growing Up in New Zealand cohort data to i) develop child feeding indexes (CFIs) based on National Food and Nutrition Guidelines for 2- and 4.5-year-olds; ii) describe the cohort adherence to the guidelines at 2 (n = 6046) and 4.

Adaptation of the infant gut microbiome during the complementary feeding transition.

The infant gut microbiome progresses in composition and function during the introduction of solid foods throughout the first year of life. The purpose of this study was to characterize changes in healthy infant gut microbiome composition, metagenomic functional capacity, and associated metabolites over the course of the complementary feeding period. Fecal samples were obtained at three 'snapshot' timepoints from infants participating in the 'Nourish to Flourish' pilot study: before the introduction of solid foods at approximately 4 months of age, after introducing solid foods at 9 months of age, and after continued diet diversification at 12 months of age.

Changes in Human Milk Fat Globule Composition Throughout Lactation: A Review.

There has been a growing interest in understanding how the relative levels of human milk fat globule (MFG) components change over the course of lactation, how they differ between populations, and implications of these changes for the health of the infant. In this article, we describe studies published over the last 30 years which have investigated components of the MFG in term milk, focusing on changes over the course of lactation and highlighting infant and maternal factors that may influence these changes. We then consider how the potential health benefits of some of the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) components and derived ingredients relate to compositional and functional aspects and how these change throughout lactation.

Adherence to Dietary Guidelines among Women with and without Gestational Diabetes: Evidence from the Growing up in New Zealand Study.

Diet is thought to play a role in the development and management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Dietary guidelines provide practical recommendations for achieving nutrient requirements and mitigating the risk of chronic disease. The aim of this study was to describe the adherence to dietary guidelines by women with and without GDM and determine whether adherence is associated with the development of GDM.

"Nourish to Flourish": complementary feeding for a healthy infant gut microbiome-a non-randomised pilot feasibility study.

Background: The introduction of complementary foods and changes in milk feeding result in modifications to gastrointestinal function. The interplay between indigestible carbohydrates, host physiology, and microbiome, and immune system development are areas of intense research relevant to early and later-life health.

Methods: This 6-month prospective non-randomised feasibility study was conducted in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ), in January 2018.

Nutritional Management of Moderate- and Late-Preterm Infants Commenced on Intravenous Fluids Pending Mother's Own Milk: Cohort Analysis From the DIAMOND Trial.

Background: Exclusive breastmilk is the desired enteral nutrition for babies born moderate- and late-preterm between 32 and 36 weeks' gestation; however, this goal is often difficult to achieve.

Methods: A prospective cohort of babies 32 -35 weeks' gestation enrolled in the DIAMOND trial were randomized to a condition specifying that babies should receive mother's own milk (MOM) as the only enteral feed. Factors associated with the successful transition to MOM, defined as MOM being the sole enteral feeding at the time of the first cessation of intravenous (IV) fluids, were investigated by logistic regression.