Association Between Maternal Nutrient Intake During Pregnancy and Neurodevelopment of Children at 2 Years of Age: A Prospective Observational Study
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objectives: Maternal supply of nutrients during pregnancy may have lasting impacts on postnatal development of offspring by affecting epigenetic and metabolic programming of susceptible biological pathways in utero. This study aimed to determine how the intake of nutrients critical for neurodevelopment such as one-carbon (1C) nutrients choline, folate, and vitamin B12, as well as lutein and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were associated with DNA methylation and further, neurodevelopment of children, in a prospective case-control cohort of women with or without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: In this study, women with (n = 18) and without (n = 20) GDM were recruited at 25-33 weeks gestation. Detailed dietary intake data was collected by 3-day 24-hour dietary recall. The maternal-child dyads were invited to participate in a 2-year follow-up during which the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development™ Screening Test (Third Edition) was conducted and a saliva sample for DNA extraction was collected on children. The association between maternal nutrients and children’s developmental outcomes was analyzed with a generalized linear model controlling for maternal GDM status. Results: We found that children born to mothers with GDM had lower scores in the language domain of the Bayley test (p = 0.049). Higher maternal food folate, choline, and lutein+zeaxanthin (L+Z) intakes were associated with better language scores in children (p = 0.01 - 0.038, respectively). Higher maternal food folate and L+Z intakes were also associated with better cognitive scores in children (p = 0.001-0.002). However, DHA and vitamin B12 intake was not associated with any developmental scoring and that none of the maternal nutrients were related to global DNA methylation of children’s buccal cells. Conclusions: In conclusion, higher dietary 1C nutrient and L+Z intakes during pregnancy were associated with better neurodevelopmental outcomes of children. This may help overcome the lower language scores seen in GDM-affected children in this cohort. Funding Sources: The Interdisciplinary Research Grant of the City University of New York and the research grant of the American Egg Board/Egg Nutrition Center.
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,000
OpenAlex ID: W4400149114