Researchers from Sidra Medicine's Precision Nutrition Laboratory have published two new studies.
Doha, Qatar: Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, is advancing the future of maternal and child healthcare through groundbreaking research in precision nutrition. The studies demonstrate how a mother’s diet during pregnancy can influence not only pregnancy outcomes but also the long-term health of her child.
Researchers from Sidra Medicine’s Precision Nutrition Laboratory have published two new studies that uncover how maternal nutrition shapes fetal development through epigenetic changes—biological mechanisms that regulate how genes are expressed without altering DNA itself. The findings reinforce growing evidence that nutrition during pregnancy plays a fundamental role in determining a child’s health before birth and may influence disease risk later in life.
Head of the Precision Nutrition Laboratory, Translational Medicine Department, Sidra Medicine, Dr. Annalisa Terranegra, said, “Nutrition is one of the earliest and most powerful influences on human health, beginning long before birth. Our research shows that what a mother eats during pregnancy can leave measurable biological signatures that influence fetal development and potentially shape health across the lifespan. By understanding these mechanisms, we are moving closer to delivering personalised nutritional recommendations that help prevent pregnancy complications and give every child the healthiest possible start in life.”
The first study, published in npj Science of Food, examined the relationship between maternal nutrition and preterm birth. Researchers found that women who delivered prematurely consumed significantly lower amounts of protein, vitamins, and essential minerals than mothers who delivered full-term pregnancies.
The study further identified distinct epigenetic changes in both the placenta and umbilical cord blood, particularly in genes involved in fetal development and immune function. These findings suggest that inadequate protein intake during pregnancy may contribute to biological changes associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and could eventually support earlier identification of at-risk pregnancies.
The second study, published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, focused on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), one of the most common pregnancy complications worldwide. Researchers found that mothers diagnosed with gestational diabetes consumed significantly higher amounts of saturated fat while having lower levels of vitamin D and folate compared with healthy pregnancies.
The research also revealed widespread epigenetic changes affecting genes involved in insulin regulation and glucose metabolism, including the gene ZFP57, suggesting that maternal dietary patterns may influence a child’s future metabolic health and susceptibility to chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
Clinically, these findings underscore the potential value of early nutritional assessment and targeted dietary intervention in pregnant women at risk of gestational diabetes to help improve maternal outcomes and support long-term metabolic health in their children.
Sidra Medicine is also investigating how the type and quality of dietary fats consumed during pregnancy may influence early brain development and the future risk of neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
