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Choline concentrations in human maternal and cord blood and intelligence at 5 y of age

Caroline Signore1, Per Magne Ueland, James Troendle

  • 1Epidemiology Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|April 11, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Maternal choline levels during pregnancy and at birth did not impact child intelligence quotient (IQ) scores at age 5. This study found no correlation between gestational choline concentrations and cognitive development in children.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Animal studies suggest prenatal choline influences offspring cognitive function.
  • Human data on gestational choline and neurodevelopment is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal and cord blood choline levels and child IQ at age 5.
  • To determine if choline concentrations during pregnancy correlate with cognitive outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 404 maternal-child pairs.
  • Maternal serum choline measured at four gestational intervals and in cord blood.
  • Child IQ assessed at age 5 using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised.

Main Results:

  • No significant effect of maternal or cord blood choline on Full Scale IQ at age 5.
  • No correlation observed with Verbal IQ, Performance IQ, or subscales for spatial relation and memory.

Conclusions:

  • Physiological ranges of choline during gestation and at birth are not associated with childhood intelligence.
  • Findings suggest choline levels within the normal range do not predict cognitive development in children.
Abstract

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