Genetically predicted food-related traits, placental weight, and birth weight : A Mendelian randomization and colocalization study: impact of diet on birth weight
- 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Translational Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Abstract
Observational studies suggest that maternal diet is associated with birth weight, but the genetic evidence for specific food-related traits and the potential contribution of placental growth remain uncertain. We used bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine 187 food-liking traits and 38 food-consumption traits in relation to 2 continuous birth-weight outcomes. The primary family included 450 forward tests (Bonferroni P < 1.11 × 10−4). Placental-weight, two-step MR, and Bayesian colocalization analyses were interpreted as secondary or exploratory. Roast-chicken, red-meat, lentil/bean, healthy-food, and porridge liking showed suggestive associations with birth weight (P = 4.11 × 10−4 to 1.22 × 10−2), although none met the corrected threshold. Birth weight was a continuous standardized phenotype; therefore, β coefficients are the primary effect estimates. Several placental-weight traits were associated with birth weight in secondary analyses, and the directionally compatible two-step components were consistent with a potential placental pathway. Placental-weight and maternal-effect birth-weight signals colocalized at chromosome 12 (PP.H4 = 0.979) and chromosome 5 (PP.H4 = 0.993). The findings suggest potential relationships among genetically predicted food preference, placental growth, and birth weight. Because the food-related associations did not survive correction and the two-step analyses were conditionally selected, these results are hypothesis-generating rather than proof of causal mediation. The chromosome 12 region containing SLC38A4 remains a biologically plausible candidate for follow-up.
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BibTeX
@article{han2026genetically,
title = {{Genetically predicted food-related traits, placental weight, and birth weight : A Mendelian randomization and colocalization study: impact of diet on birth weight}},
author = {Huan Han and Hanwen Su and Zhihua Lv and Chengliang Zhu and Jingtao Huang},
journal = {Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1097/md.0000000000051240},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727173},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genetically predicted food-related traits, placental weight, and birth weight : A Mendelian randomization and colocalization study: impact of diet on birth weight
AU - Huan Han
AU - Hanwen Su
AU - Zhihua Lv
AU - Chengliang Zhu
AU - Jingtao Huang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Medicine
DO - 10.1097/md.0000000000051240
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727173
AB - Observational studies suggest that maternal diet is associated with birth weight, but the genetic evidence for specific food-related traits and the potential contribution of placental growth remain uncertain. We used bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine 187 food-liking traits and 38 food-consumption traits in relation to 2 continuous birth-weight outcomes. The primary family included 450 forward tests (Bonferroni P < 1.11 × 10−4). Placental-weight, two-step MR, and Bayesian colocalization analyses were interpreted as secondary or exploratory. Roast-chicken, red-meat, lentil/bean, healthy-food, and porridge liking showed suggestive associations with birth weight (P = 4.11 × 10−4 to 1.22 × 10−2), although none met the corrected threshold. Birth weight was a continuous standardized phenotype; therefore, β coefficients are the primary effect estimates. Several placental-weight traits were associated with birth weight in secondary analyses, and the directionally compatible two-step components were consistent with a potential placental pathway. Placental-weight and maternal-effect birth-weight signals colocalized at chromosome 12 (PP.H4 = 0.979) and chromosome 5 (PP.H4 = 0.993). The findings suggest potential relationships among genetically predicted food preference, placental growth, and birth weight. Because the food-related associations did not survive correction and the two-step analyses were conditionally selected, these results are hypothesis-generating rather than proof of causal mediation. The chromosome 12 region containing SLC38A4 remains a biologically plausible candidate for follow-up.
SN - 0304-5412
SN - 1536-5964
SN - 0025-7974
ER -