Higher-fat diet may offset risks of Ramadan fasting during pregnancy

Dietary choices during Ramadan may moderate the associations between intermittent fasting during pregnancy and newborn health, according to study results published in PLOS ONE.

“Dietary intake during non-fasting hours is characterized by traditional meals that often have higher contents of fat and simple sugars than meals outside of Ramadan, in particular during the breaking of the fast after sunset,” Fabienne Pradella, MD, postdoctoral researcher, chair of statistics and economics, faculty of law, management and economics at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, and colleagues wrote. “Sleep schedules are adjusted during Ramadan since dietary intake and food preparation are shifted to night hours.”

Pradella and colleagues surveyed 326 Muslin women whose pregnancies overlapped with Ramadan 2017 and who delivered in Mainz, Germany. Participants reported on fasting, dietary composition and sleep schedules while pregnant during Ramadan.

The primary outcome was birth weight in grams.

Among respondents, 30% reported fasting during pregnancy, and of these 47% reported fasting at least 20 days with the highest fasting rate observed during the first trimester.

Results demonstrated an association between fasting during pregnancy and reduced birth weight (–158.19 g; 95% CI, –300.83 to –15.55) particularly when fasting occurred during the first trimester (–352.92 g; 95% CI, –537.38 to –168.46). Researchers noted that dietary composition and altered sleep were not directly associated with birth weight. However, dietary composition during Ramadan when breaking the fast may moderate the fasting-birth weight association, which no longer appeared for women switching to high-fat diets.

According to the researchers, additional research is required to evaluate the role of specific nutrients and food groups based on specific recommendations for dietary choices for pregnant Muslims during Ramadan, including caloric intake measurements.

“Each year millions of Muslim offspring with intrauterine exposure to Ramadan fasting are born,” the researchers wrote. “Our study highlights that research on culture-specific habits and traditions is pivotal in order to promote a healthy start to life for all children.”