Nutrition, sex, and fetal lung maturation

Abstract

Maternal nutrition and the sex of a fetus appear to have important influences on fetal lung maturation and on the neonatal development of hyaline membrane disease. Amniotic fluid lecithin to sphingomyelin ratios and shake test values were greater in undernourished than in overnourished pregnancies after midgestation. There was a similar relation between levels of maternal nutrition and structural variables of fetal lung maturity. Using the same variables, the lungs of female fetuses matured somewhat more rapidly than the lungs of males. Hyaline membrane disease was almost twice as common in infants who died after overnourished gestations as in those who had undernourished mothers. The study should not be used as the basis for recommendations to restrict food intake during pregnancy. Research is needed to determine whether calories alone or the balance between calories and other specific nutrients are able to influence the rate of fetal lung maturation. © 1974 International Pediatric Research Foundation, Inc.