Abstract
Prenatal nutrient exposures can impact on brain development and disease susceptibility across the lifespan. It is well established that maternal macronutrient intake during pregnancy influences foetal and infant development. Therefore, we hypothesise that macronutrient intakes during pregnancy are correlated with cognitive development during early childhood. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between maternal macronutrient intake during pregnancy and child cognitive and behavioural outcomes at age 4 years. We analysed prospective data from a cohort of 64 Australian mother–child dyads. Maternal macronutrient intake was assessed using a validated 74-item food frequency questionnaire at 2 timepoints during pregnancy. Child cognition and behaviour were measured at age 4 years using the validated Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, 3rd version (WPPSI-III) and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBC). Linear regression models were used to quantify statistical relationships and were adjusted for maternal age, education, pre-pregnancy BMI, breastfeeding duration and birthweight. Child Performance IQ was inversely associated with maternal starch intake (b = −11.02, p = 0.03). However, no other associations were found. Further research is needed to explore the association between different types of starch consumed during pregnancy and child cognitive development.
Highlights
Maternal dietary data and child cognition data were available from 58 mother–child dyads, while maternal dietary data and child behavioural data were available from 51 mother–child dyads
This study identified increasing carbohydrate intake during pregnancy was negatively associated with child Performance IQ, a measure of non-verbal reasoning, attention and visuo-spatial processing
There is evidence to support that an abnormal carbohydrate metabolism during pregnancy such as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is adversely associated with child cognitive outcomes [61,62,63]
Summary
Inadequate nutrition during pregnancy and the first 3 years of life may result in permanent functional changes in the brain and lead to psychopathology including schizophrenia [2] and antisocial externalizing behaviour, as this period is critical for brain growth [3,4]. 2 to 3 weeks after conception, foetal brain growth commences with the formation of the neural tube [5]. This is followed by significant neuronal proliferation, differentiation and migration during early gestation (8–22 weeks) [5]. Synaptogenesis, apoptosis and myelination are life-long neurological processes that commence during late gestation (24–35 weeks gestation) [5]. Adequate nutrients are necessary for the functioning of these neurodevelopmental processes [6]
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