Table 1 Characteristics according to quartile of maternal cheese intake during pregnancy (n = 64,200)

1,534

1,619

1,758

2,034

1,736

30.9

31.4

31.9

32.3

31.6

Previous childbirth

Nulliparous

7,090

(46.0)

7,187

(43.9)

6,748

(39.9)

5,993

(38.6)

27,018

(42.1)

Multiparous

8,314

(54.0)

9,170

(56.1)

10,164

(60.1)

9,534

(61.4)

37182

(57.9)

BMI (kg/m²)

<18.5

783

(5.1)

779

(4.8)

859

(5.1)

797

(5.1)

3,218

(5.0)

18.5–<25

11,979

(77.8)

13,068

(79.9)

13,752

(81.3)

12,635

(81.4)

51,434

(80.1)

≥25

2,642

(17.2)

2,510

(15.4)

2,301

(13.6)

2,095

(13.5)

9,548

(14.9)

Education level

Junior high school or high school

6,175

(40.1)

5,591

(34.2)

4,852

(28.7)

3,972

(25.6)

20,590

(32.1)

Technical junior college, technical/vocational college or associate degree

6,443

(41.8)

7,085

(43.3)

7,554

(44.7)

6,936

(44.7)

28,018

(43.6)

Bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree

2,786

(18.1)

3,681

(22.5)

4,506

(26.6)

4,619

(29.8)

15,592

(24.3)

Annual household income, JPY

<4 million

6,861

(44.5)

6,330

(38.7)

6,076

(35.9)

5,230

(33.7)

24,497

(38.2)

4–<6 million

4,844

(31.5)

5,577

(34.1)

5,878

(34.8)

5,487

(35.3)

21,786

(33.9)

≥6 million

3,699

(24.0)

4,450

(27.2)

4,958

(29.3)

4,810

(31.0)

17,917

(27.9)

Marital status

Married (including common law marriage)

15,107

(98.1)

16,142

(98.7)

16,728

(98.9)

15,375

(99.0)

63,352

(98.7)

Divorced or widowed

130

(0.8)

112

(0.7)

90

(0.5)

73

(0.5)

405

(0.6)

Others

167

(1.1)

103

(0.6)

94

(0.6)

79

(0.5)

443

(0.7)

Alcohol intake

Never

14,220

(92.3)

15,021

(91.8)

15,523

(91.8)

14,190

(91.4)

58,954

(91.8)

Ex-drinker

618

(4.0)

692

(4.2)

788

(4.7)

703

(4.5)

2,801

(4.4)

One to three times/month

382

(2.5)

438

(2.7)

426

(2.5)

442

(2.9)

1,688

(2.6)

Once a week or more

184

(1.2)

206

(1.3)

175

(1.0)

192

(1.2)

757

(1.2)

Smoking status

Never

8,803

(57.2)

9,909

(60.6)

10,810

(63.9)

9,985

(64.3)

39,507

(61.5)

Ex-drinker

3,472

(22.5)

3,786

(23.2)

3,871

(22.9)

3,728

(24.0)

14,857

(23.1)

One to three times/month

2,413

(15.7)

2,130

(13.0)

1,827

(10.8)

1,464

(9.4)

7,834

(12.2)

Once a week or more

716

(4.7)

532

(3.3)

404

(2.4)

350

(2.3)

2,002

(3.1)

Employed

No

7,752

(50.3)

8,395

(51.3)

8,953

(52.9)

8,471

(54.6)

33,571

(52.3)

Yes

7,652

(49.7)

7,962

(48.7)

7,959

(47.1)

7,056

(45.4)

30,629

(47.7)

Sex of the child

Boy

7,504

(48.7)

8,124

(49.7)

8,171

(48.3)

7,667

(49.4)

31,466

(49.0)

Girl

7,900

(51.3)

8,233

(50.3)

8,741

(51.7)

7,860

(50.6)

32,734

(51.0)

Nursery

No

5,354

(34.8)

5,887

(36.0)

6,248

(36.9)

5,927

(38.2)

23,416

(36.5)

Yes

10,050

(65.2)

10,470

(64.0)

10,664

(63.1)

9,600

(61.8)

40,784

(63.5)

Location where the baby sleeps at night

In the parent's bed

12,933

(84.0)

13,719

(83.9)

14,294

(84.5)

13,019

(83.9)

53,965

(84.1)

In a baby bed located in the parent's room

2,262

(14.7)

2,425

(14.8)

2,403

(14.2)

2,282

(14.7)

9,372

(14.6)

In a baby bed located in a room other than the bedroom of his/her parents

152

(1.0)

145

(0.9)

161

(1.0)

173

(1.1)

631

(1.0)

Other

57

(0.4)

68

(0.4)

54

(0.3)

53

(0.3)

232

(0.4)

3,018

3,028

3,034

3,035

3,029

39.3

39.3

39.3

39.3

39.3

Eating dairy products

Yes

14,971

(97.2)

15,953

(97.5)

16,502

(97.6)

15,164

(97.7)

62,590

(97.5)

No

433

(2.8)

404

(2.5)

410

(2.4)

363

(2.3)

1,610

(2.5)

Disease

No

9,111

(59.2)

9,728

(59.5)

10,024

(59.3)

9,193

(59.2)

38,056

(59.3)

Yes

6,293

(40.9)

6,629

(40.5)

6,888

(40.7)

6,334

(40.8)

26,144

(40.7)

Birth month

1

1,259

(8.2)

1,214

(7.4)

1,285

(7.6)

1,169

(7.5)

4,927

(7.7)

2

1,063

(6.9)

1,126

(6.9)

1,187

(7.0)

1,056

(6.8)

4,432

(6.9)

3

1,178

(7.7)

1,285

(7.9)

1,259

(7.4)

1,188

(7.7)

4,910

(7.6)

4

1,223

(7.9)

1,254

(7.7)

1,297

(7.7)

1,179

(7.6)

4,953

(7.7)

5

1,202

(7.8)

1,320

(8.1)

1,400

(8.3)

1,258

(8.1)

5,180

(8.1)

6

1,202

(7.8)

1,258

(7.7)

1,368

(8.1)

1,243

(8.0)

5,071

(7.9)

7

1,382

(9.0)

1,477

(9.0)

1,484

(8.8)

1,414

(9.1)

5,757

(9.0)

8

1,555

(10.1)

1,660

(10.2)

1,669

(9.9)

1,618

(10.4)

6,502

(10.1)

9

1,568

(10.2)

1,689

(10.3)

1,683

(10.0)

1,627

(10.5)

6,567

(10.2)

10

1,433

(9.3)

1,567

(9.6)

1,631

(9.6)

1,416

(9.1)

6,047

(9.4)

11

1,178

(7.7)

1,251

(7.7)

1,350

(8.0)

1,177

(7.6)

4,956

(7.7)

12

1,161

(7.5)

1,256

(7.7)

1,299

(7.7)

1,182

(7.6)

4,898

(7.6)