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January 23, 2026

DOP039Maternal Ultra-Processed Food Intake During Pregnancy and Risk of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Danish Cohort Study

Key Points

The study aims to explore the association between maternal ultra-processed food intake during pregnancy and the risk of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in offspring.
Analyzed mother-child pairs from the Danish National Birth Cohort (1996-2002).
Assessed maternal dietary intake using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire.
Categorized foods based on the Nova classification system into ultra-processed and other types.
Identified offspring with pediatric IBD through national health registers.
Utilized Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios for IBD risk based on maternal UPF intake levels.
Among 59,483 mother-child pairs, 170 developed pediatric-onset IBD (0.3%).
Maternal UPF intake contributed a median of 20% of total energy intake.
Higher UPF intake was linked to poorer diet quality in mothers.
No significant association found between maternal UPF intake and increased IBD risk in offspring.

Abstract

Abstract Background Maternal intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), defined as food formulations made from a series of industrial processes, during pregnancy has been linked to several adverse health outcomes in both mothers and offspring. Yet, the impact on the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in offspring remains poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated this within mother-child pairs from the Danish National Birth Cohort. Methods The Danish National Birth Cohort is a nationwide prospective cohort of Danish pregnant mothers and their offspring, enrolled in early pregnancy (1996–2002). In gestational week 25, a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire assessed maternal intake of 360 food items during the previous month. Foods were categorized according to the Nova classification system based on their level of industrial processing: 1) unprocessed or minimally processed foods, 2) processed culinary ingredients, 3) processed foods, and 4) UPFs. UPFs were further divided into seven subgroups (dairy, meat products, dressings 95% CI: 0.76–1.75), nor with risk of CD (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.65–1.74) or UC (HR: 1.44; 95% CI: 0.84–2.47) individually. Furthermore, UPF subtypes were also not associated with offspring’s disease risk. Conclusion In this large-scale cohort study from Denmark, maternal UPF intake during pregnancy was not associated with risk of pediatric-onset IBD in offspring. However, the unfavorable nutrient profile among mothers with high UPF intake highlights that UPFs may still adversely affect offspring health through other mechanisms. Conflict of interest: Anneberg, Olivia Mariella Rosie: No conflict of interest Ciobotaru, Gabriela: No conflict of interest Vinkel Hansen, Anne: No conflict of interest Olsen, Sjurdur Frodi: No conflict of interest Bjerregaard, Anne Ahrendt: No conflict of interest Halldorsson, Thorhallur: No conflict of interest Guedelha Sabino, João: Speaker’s fees: Lilly, Pfizer, Abbvie, Ferring, Falk, Takeda, Janssen, Fresenius, and Galapagos. Consultancy fees: Takeda, Pfizer, Janssen, Ferring, Fresenius, Abbvie, Galapagos, Celltrion, Pharmacosmos, and Pharmanovia. Research support: Galapagos, Viatris, and Eurogenerics. JS is supported by a Senior Clinical researcher grant from the Research foundation – Flanders. Jess, Tine: Personal Fees: Consultancy for Ferring, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson Brusco De Freitas, Maiara: No conflict of interest

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DOP039Maternal Ultra-Processed Food Intake During Pregnancy and Risk of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Danish Cohort Study

Key Points

Abstract

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