Funding outcome

Iron and vitamin D deficiencies during pregnancy have both been recently linked with impaired brain development in infants and poor mental health symptoms in mothers. Despite this, very little is known about how low and very high iron or vitamin D statuses, which can occur at different periods across pregnancy in North American women, may impact health. Therefore, this project will explore if certain food intake patterns along with iron and vitamin D status at various timepoints across pregnancy have a relationship with important maternal, infant, and child outcomes. The research questions to be studied are: 1) How does the status of iron and vitamin D change across pregnancy and post-birth? 2) Are there significant relationships between a mother's iron status, vitamin D status, and/or food intakes and maternal (pregnancy complications and mental health), infant (birth characteristics), and child (brain development) outcomes? Participant data from the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study, a cohort study which gathered nutrition and other data from ~2,200 pregnant women along with their infants and later children, will be used. The status of maternal iron and vitamin D will be measured and this data along with food intake histories will be related to relevant health outcome measurements. Results from this project which suggests a relationship between certain food intake patterns and/or nutrient statuses and health outcomes may be used to guide further research which could inform new strategies that could help women be better cared for before, during and after their pregnancy.