TOPLINE

Mothers who consumed a high-protein and low-glycaemic index (HPLGI) diet during pregnancy had children with higher total cholesterol levels, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, and LDL to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratios through 9 years of age than those who consumed a moderate-protein and moderate-glycaemic index (MPMGI) diet during pregnancy.

METHODOLOGY

• Researchers conducted a follow-up study of a randomised controlled pregnancy nutrition trial to evaluate the effect of a maternal HPLGI diet during pregnancy on body composition and metabolic health in children at 9 years of age.
• The analysis included a total of 114 children; of these, 62 were born to mothers who consumed an HPLGI diet (25% protein; glycaemic index < 55) during pregnancy and 52 were born to mothers who consumed an MPMGI diet (18% protein; no glycaemic index restrictions); mothers were aged 18 years or older, and prepregnancy BMI was between 28 and 45.
• Anthropometric measures, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk profiles were assessed in children at 9 years of age, and LDL and HDL cholesterol trajectories were evaluated from birth to 9 years of age.
• Body composition and metabolic health, including measures of body fat, liver fat, bone density, cholesterol, and glucose-related markers, were assessed using imaging, blood tests, and continuous glucose monitoring.

TAKEAWAY

• At 9 years of age, children born to mothers who consumed an HPLGI diet during pregnancy had 7.4% higher total cholesterol levels, 11.3% higher LDL cholesterol levels, and a higher LDL to HDL cholesterol ratio than those born to mothers who consumed an MPMGI diet during pregnancy (P < .05 for all).
• From birth to 9 years, differences in LDL cholesterol levels between the two groups increased with age, whereas differences in HDL cholesterol levels became less pronounced over time.
• Bone mineral density was 0.03 g/cm² higher in children in the HPLGI group than in those in the MPMGI group (P = .017).
• Glucose homeostasis, blood pressure, pulse, or adipose tissue mass did not differ significantly between the two groups.

IN PRACTICE

"[The study] findings suggest that increased protein consumption during pregnancy leads to unfavorable changes in lipid metabolism and lipid profile later in offspring life, characterized by higher total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, which may be an early marker of increased cardiometabolic risk," the authors wrote.

SOURCE

This study was led by Christina S. Mogensen, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. It was published online on July 08, 2026, in the European Journal of Nutrition.

LIMITATIONS

The high attrition rate of 45.5% may have introduced selection bias and limited the generalisability of the findings. The study lacked dietary data for children at 9-year follow-up, which may have reduced the precision of the dietary intake estimates. The trial was powered to detect differences in maternal gestational weight gain rather than offspring outcomes, potentially limiting the ability to detect differences in body composition and other metabolic measures.

DISCLOSURES

The intervention study received financial support from the Nordea Foundation, Danish Pork Levy Foundation, Danish Agriculture & Food Council, and Danish Dairy Research Foundation and products from LEGO Charity, Pharma Nord, and Pharmo Vital. The Novo Nordisk Foundation provided funding for the follow-up study from birth to 5 years of age. The Centre for Childhood Health provided funding for the 9-year follow-up. The authors declared having no competing interests.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.