Table 4.
Differences in dietary intakes and full blood count results during pregnancy across the estimated fetal weight growth trajectory class
| EFW very slow | EFW moderately slow (reference group) | EFW moderately fast | EFW very fast | P | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | Mean | SD | Mean (95% CI) differenceb | n | Mean | SD | n | Mean | SD | Mean (95% CI) differenceb | n | Mean | SD | Mean (95% CI) differenceb | ||
| Dietary intakes | ||||||||||||||||
| Trimester 1 dietary intakes | ||||||||||||||||
| Iron (mg)a | 21 | 9.94 | 3.85 | 0.47 (− 1.97 to 2.37) | 356 | 10.73 | 4.27 | 157 | 10.89 | 4.46 | 0.18 (− 0.45 to 0.80) | 14 | 10.55 | 4.10 | 0.51 (− 1.22 to 2.11) | 0.862 |
| Vitamin B12 (µg)a | 21 | 3.04 | 2.81 | 0.31 (− 0.88 to 1.31) | 356 | 3.94 | 2.43 | 157 | 3.86 | 2.71 | − 0.04 (− 0.44 to 0.37) | 14 | 2.81 | 2.11 | 0.73 (− 0.04 to 1.45) | 0.514 |
| Folate (µg)a | 21 | 212.19 | 166.21 | 25.12 (− 25.80 to 70.22) | 356 | 249.94 | 126.39 | 157 | 260.24 | 123.90 | 1.16 (− 17.92 to 20.84) | 14 | 249.60 | 138.06 | 7.41 (− 37.77 to 53.86) | 0.751 |
| Trimester 2 dietary intakes | ||||||||||||||||
| Iron (mg)a | 21 | 9.95 | 4.33 | 1.15 (− 0.08 to 2.31) | 360 | 10.54 | 4.09 | 159 | 10.97 | 4.76 | − 0.01 (− 0.65 to 0.59) | 14 | 10.78 | 3.92 | − 0.09 (− 1.74 to 1.69) | 0.523 |
| Vitamin B12 (µg)a | 21 | 3.78 | 1.90 | 0.59 (0.03 to 1.16) | 360 | 4.10 | 2.61 | 159 | 4.14 | 2.73 | − 0.06 (− 0.43 to 0.31) | 14 | 4.11 | 2.58 | − 0.02 (− 0.98 to 0.84) | 0.593 |
| Folate (µg)a | 21 | 235.57 | 146.03 | 12.67 (− 30.37 to 53.45) | 360 | 264.97 | 108.97 | 159 | 264.99 | 121.41 | − 2.70 (− 20.72 to 15.35) | 14 | 292.03 | 155.32 | − 7.59 (− 52.61 to 38.66) | 0.899 |
| Trimester 3 dietary intakes | ||||||||||||||||
| Iron (mg)a | 20 | 10.19 | 4.75 | 0.39 (− 1.05 to 1.71) | 356 | 10.96 | 4.23 | 159 | 11.10 | 4.63 | − 0.36 (− 1.06 to 0.30) | 14 | 8.72 | 4.71 | 0.80 (− 2.08 to 3.23) | 0.510 |
| Vitamin b12 (µg)a | 20 | 3.75 | 3.22 | 0.74 (− 0.06 to 1.51) | 356 | 4.20 | 2.44 | 159 | 4.61 | 2.49 | − 0.15 (− 0.63 to 0.35) | 14 | 3.48 | 1.12 | 0.83 (− 0.31 to 1.92) | 0.384 |
| Folate (µg)a | 20 | 230.89 | 84.41 | 15.05 (− 44.69 to 67.33) | 356 | 258.32 | 117.48 | 159 | 262.44 | 120.60 | 4.15 (− 12.85 to 21.57) | 14 | 290.46 | 177.67 | − 5.46 (− 84.74 to 59.99) | 0.904 |
| Full blood count results | ||||||||||||||||
| Early pregnancy (13 weeks) | ||||||||||||||||
| HgB (g/dL) | 30 | 12.92 | 0.94 | − 0.06 (− 0.42 to 0.27) | 480 | 12.86 | 0.89 | 224 | 12.84 | 0.81 | 0.02 (− 0.12 to 0.15) | 22 | 12.65 | 1.32 | 0.21 (− 0.32 to 0.79) | 0.710 |
| HCT (%) | 30 | 0.37 | 0.02 | − 0.00 (− 0.01 to 0.01) | 480 | 0.37 | 0.02 | 224 | 0.37 | 0.02 | 0.00 (− 0.00 to 0.00) | 22 | 0.37 | 0.03 | 0.00 (− 0.01 to 0.02) | 0.887 |
| MCV (fL) | 30 | 85.66 | 3.03 | 0.14 (− 0.93 to 1.24) | 480 | 85.80 | 4.13 | 224 | 86.06 | 3.58 | − 0.27 (− 0.85 to 0.32) | 22 | 84.52 | 5.21 | 1.28 (− 0.68 to 3.60) | 0.355 |
| MCH (pg)a | 30 | 29.90 | 1.2 | 0.11 (− 0.27 to 0.50) | 480 | 30.00 | 1.9 | 224 | 30.00 | 2.0 | − 0.11 (− 0.37 to 0.15) | 22 | 29.80 | 2.0 | 0.75 (− 0.04 to 1.76) | 0.133 |
| MCHC (g/dL) | 30 | 34.69 | 0.95 | 0.05 (− 0.27 to 0.42) | 480 | 34.74 | 0.94 | 224 | 34.76 | 0.95 | − 0.02 (− 0.18 to 0.14) | 22 | 34.36 | 1.14 | 0.38 (− 0.08 to 0.90) | 0.295 |
| Late pregnancy (28 weeks) | ||||||||||||||||
| HgB (g/dL) | 28 | 11.78 | 1.10 | − 0.15 (− 0.54 to 0.26) | 453 | 11.63 | 0.88 | 211 | 11.43 | 0.93 | 0.20 (0.06 to 0.35) | 21 | 11.55 | 0.95 | 0.08 (− 0.34 to 0.49) | 0.041* |
| HCT (%) | 28 | 0.34 | 0.03 | − 0.00 (− 0.01 to 0.01) | 453 | 0.34 | 0.02 | 211 | 0.34 | 0.02 | 0.01 (0.00 to 0.01) | 21 | 0.34 | 0.02 | 0.00 (− 0.01 to 0.01) | 0.029** |
| MCV (fL) | 28 | 88.18 | 3.46 | − 0.34 (− 1.72 to 0.94) | 453 | 87.84 | 4.41 | 211 | 87.75 | 4.16 | 0.09 (− 0.61 to 0.79) | 21 | 86.67 | 3.89 | 1.17 (− 0.50 to 2.88) | 0.628 |
| MCH (pg)a | 28 | 30.35 | 2.2 | − 0.19 (− 0.72 to 0.35) | 453 | 30.10 | 2.3 | 211 | 30.10 | 2.5 | 0.05 (− 0.25 to 0.36) | 21 | 29.50 | 1.4 | 0.54 (− 0.00 to 1.22) | 0.553 |
| MCHC (g/dL) | 28 | 34.19 | 1.13 | − 0.11 (− 0.51 to 0.33) | 453 | 34.08 | 0.91 | 211 | 34.05 | 1.00 | 0.03 (− 0.14 to 0.18) | 21 | 33.93 | 0.81 | 0.15 (− 0.23 to 0.53) | 0.784 |
Mean (95% CI) and P value for significant differences between groups determined using Analysis of Variance with Bootstrap
EFW estimated fetal weight, HgB haemoglobin, HCT haematocrit, MCV mean cell volume, MCH mean corpuscular haemoglobin, MCHC mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
*Significant at P < 0.05. Tukey post hoc analysis showed a significance of 0.046 between moderately slow and moderately fast trajectories
**Significant at P < 0.05. Tukey post hoc analysis showed a significance of 0.026 between moderately slow and moderately fast trajectories
aData displayed as median (IQR)
bMean difference between moderately slow (reference group) and very slow, moderately fast, and very fast trajectories for estimated fetal weight