The Sweet PEA Study: Effects of Diet During Pregnancy on Infant Growth and Development.

Rationale: Non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) consumption during pregnancy is prevalent, but effects on maternal and infant health are not well known. Intervention: None Objectives: To determine whether NNS consumption during pregnancy is associated with increased infant body fat, as well as differences in infant growth, brain structure/function, gut microbiota, and gestational diabetes. Study population: Women prior to 28 weeks' gestation, determined to have either low/no NNS consumption (control) or high NNS consumption (experimental), based on a pre-screening survey. Methodology: Identify two groups (low/high consumers) in early pregnancy, collect data during pregnancy remotely (telephone, internet, medical records) to determine diet and any link to pregnancy complications, have in-person visits with mothers/infants at 1, 6, and 12 months of age, collecting: body composition data (by EchoMRI), brain structure/connectivity (MRI), stool samples. Outcomes: Primary outcome is infant adiposity at 1, 6, and 12 months. Additional measures include infant growth, feeding behaviors, brain structure/ connectivity, gut microbiota, and maternal metabolic outcomes during routine gestational testing (fasting glucose, insulin, triglycerides, gestational diabetes diagnosis) Follow-up: This will operate as a small pilot study, and a larger study with more participants, a wider spectrum of NNS exposure, and longer follow up (into childhood and beyond) may follow. Statistics: Multivariate linear mixed effects examining maternal NNS intake and outcomes across time (repeated measures)