Influence of Dietary Intake on Carotid Maximum Intima-Media Thickness in Children Conceived Through Assisted Reproductive Techniques

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Research on the relationship between nutritional characteristics and their impact on cardiovascular remodeling in children conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART) is limited. We aimed to explore the influence of postnatal nutrition on vascular wall thickness in children conceived through ART, comparing them with a naturally conceived control group. Methods: A prospective observational cohort of 3-year-old children (n = 83) was analyzed, including 41 conceived ART and 42 spontaneously conceived. The carotid maximum intima-media thickness (max-cIMT), a strong predictor of myocardial infarction, was measured and dietary intake was assessed through 3-day food records. Dietary data were compared between groups, and the relationship between nutritional intake and max-cIMT were explored. In the ART group, the k-means clustering method identified distinct dietary patterns. Results: ART children showed significantly higher max-cIMT values, as well as increased dietary intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA), total proteins, and animal proteins compared to those spontaneously conceived. Three cluster groups were identified based on dietary intake in the ART group; those ART children whose dietary pattern closely resembled the control group exhibited lower max-cIMT values. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that ART children exhibited a distinct dietary pattern characterized by higher consumption of total and animal proteins and SFA, compared to those conceived naturally. Further research is required to unravel the interindividual differences among individuals conceived through ART, enabling the formulation of precise nutritional recommendations for personalized nutrition and preventive medicine.

Keywords: assisted reproduction technologies; cardiovascular programming; carotid maximum intima–media thickness; dietary patterns; food intake; nutrition; nutritional recommendations; saturated fatty acids; vascular remodeling.

Figure 1

Flow chart of inclusion of participants in the study ¹. Cohort described in previous studies of Valenzuela-Alcaraz et al. [8,9]. ART, assisted reproductive technology; 3DFR, three-day food record.

Figure 2

max-cIMT values among participants in the three ART clusters and the spontaneously conceived group. Data analyzed by ANCOVA adjusted for gestational age at delivery, sex, weight, and height. Means with superscripts without a common letter differ, p-value < 0.05 (Bonferroni post hoc test). ART, assisted reproductive technology. max-cIMT, carotid maximum intima–media thickness.