Relationship between the paternal characteristics and child anthropometry from birth to the first year of life in a clinical trial of nutritional intervention

Abstract

Experimental studies conducted with rodents suggest that the paternal diet may influence the risk of offspring's harmful health outcomes. However, we are not aware of previous studies conducted in humans investigating the influence of the paternal diet on the anthropometry of newborns and children up to 12 months of age. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between the fat quality indices of the paternal diet with the neonatal adiposity and the anthropometry of the child at birth, at 6 and 12 months of age. The study is part of a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted among 350 overweight pregnant women attended by Basic Health Units in Ribeirão Preto-SP. The adult partners of the pregnant women included in the intervention study were invited to participate in this study. Paternal data will be collected through a structured questionnaire, two 24-hour recall surveys, and data collection from medical records. The baby's anthropometric data will be collected by trained nutritionists using standardized protocols, and neonatal adiposity will be estimated. Data on the weight and height of children at six and twelve months will be obtained by collecting secondary data in the information systems and medical records. The relationship between the quality of paternal dietary fat and the child's anthropometric data will be investigated using linear regression models adjusted for confounding factors, adopting a significance level of p < 0.05. (AU)