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Journal Article Epublish 13 citations

PubMed: 37744413 DOI: 10.1097/PN9.0000000000000047

Impact of consuming a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy on neurodevelopmental disabilities in offspring: results from the Boston Birth Cohort.

Precis Nutr 2(3):e00047

Authors: Xiaoyu Che, Susan M Gross, Guoying Wang, Xiumei Hong, Colleen Pearson, Tami Bartell, Xiaobin Wang

Affiliations

  • Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
  • Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
  • Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
  • Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Abstract

Background

While consuming a Mediterranean-style diet (MSD) among pregnant women is expected to affect offspring neurodevelopment, the current evidence is limited. This prospective birth cohort study aimed to explore the association of maternal MSD with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) in offspring, especially among children born to mothers with overweight or obesity (OWO) and/or diabetes mellitus (DM) since they have a higher risk for oxidative stress and immune/metabolic disturbances.

Methods

We analyzed data from a subgroup of mother-child dyads enrolled in the Boston Birth Cohort. Maternal dietary information ( food frequency questionnaires, Food frequency questionnaires [FFQ]) and sociodemographic information were obtained in-person interviews within 24 to 72 hours postpartum. Maternal clinical information and child diagnosis of NDD including autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other developmental disabilities (DD) were extracted from medical records. A Mediterranean-style diet score (MSDS) was calculated using the FFQ. The association of maternal MSDS with NDD, autism, ADHD, and other DD was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for pertinent covariates.

Results

This study included 3153 mother-child pairs, from which we identified diagnoses of 1362 (43.2%) NDD, including 123 (3.9%) case of autism, 445 (14.1%) ADHD, and 794 (25.2%) other DD. In the overall sample, women with a higher maternal MSDS (per standard deviation increase) were less likely to have offspring with NDD (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.904, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.817-1.000; value: 0.049). Using MSDS quintile 1 as the reference, being in the combined group of quintiles 3-5 was associated with a 26% lower likelihood of NDD (adjusted OR: 0.738, 95% CI: 0.572-0.951; value: 0.019). When stratified by mothers with OWO/DM without OWO/DM, the association between maternal MSDS and offspring NDD was greater in children born to mothers with OWO/DM.

Conclusions

In this prospective birth cohort, a higher maternal MSDS was associated with a lower likelihood of NDD in the offspring. Furthermore, this association of maternal MSDS with offspring NDD was greater in children born to women with OWO/DM. More studies are needed to replicate the findings and further analyze NDD subgroups and explore underlying molecular pathways.

MeSH

Diabetes Mellitus, Pregnancy, Mothers, Parturition, Developmental Disabilities, Diet, Autistic Disorder, Diagnosis, Child, Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity, Neurodevelopment

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