O066 - INFANCY GROWTH TRAJECTORIES BY FAMILY DIETARY PATTERN: A NATIONWIDE LONGITUDINAL STUDY

O066

INFANCY GROWTH TRAJECTORIES BY FAMILY DIETARY PATTERN: A NATIONWIDE LONGITUDINAL STUDY

K. Avital^1,*, D. R. shahar¹, M. Blaychfeld Magnazi², N. Fliss-Isakov², U. Hamiel^3,4

¹Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Community Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, ²Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, ³Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, ⁴Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Rationale: The impact of dietary patterns, particularly vegetarian and vegan diets, on infant growth remains insufficiently studied. We aimed to evaluate infancy growth in relation to family dietary patterns using nationwide health data.

Methods: We analyzed repeated anthropometric measurements from birth to 30 months in infants born in Israel (2013–2023): 964,046 from omnivore, 11,730 from vegetarian, and 2,609 from vegan families. Low birthweight was defined as <2.5 kg. Linear mixed-effects models assessed associations between family diet and repeated measures of weight, height, and head circumference. Model 1 adjusted for age, sex, exclusive breastfeeding duration, delivery mode, gestational age, and maternal age; Model 2 additionally adjusted for birthweight. 

Results: At birth, mean birthweight was lower among infants from vegan and vegetarian families compared to omnivores (3.18 kg; 3.24 kg; 3.27 kg respectively; p<0.001). Low birthweight prevalence was higher in vegans (6.1%) and vegetarians (4.9%) compared to omnivores (4.2%; p<0.001).

In Model 1, vegan children had a slightly lower height, weight, and head circumference (weight: β = –0.13, 95% CI –0.15 to –0.10; height: β = –0.17, 95% CI –0.26 to –0.08; head circumference: β = –0.08, 95% CI –0.12 to –0.03), but after adjusting for birthweight in Model 2, weight differences were null, and height and head circumference were slightly higher (height: β=0.14 cm, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.22; weight: β=0.00 kg, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.02 and head circumference: β=0.07 cm, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.11).

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Conclusion: Family dietary pattern was associated with small, non-clinically significant differences in mean birthweight, height, and head circumference. However, the increased prevalence of low birthweight among infants from vegan households was clinically significant. These findings underscore the importance of maternal nutrition counseling during pregnancy and early life.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared