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Published on: September 9, 2012
Moderately elevated preconception fasting plasma total homocysteine is a risk factor for psychological problems in
Joana Roigé-Castellví1, Michelle Murphy2, Joan Fernández-Ballart2
11Department of Psychology,Universitat Rovira I Virgili,Carretera de Valls s/n,43007Tarragona,Spain.
Insights
Maternal preconception total homocysteine (tHcy) levels may impact child psychological development. Higher preconception tHcy was linked to increased internalizing and aggressive behaviors in 6-year-old children.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive health and child development.
- Nutritional impacts on neurodevelopment.
Background:
- Elevated maternal total homocysteine (tHcy) during pregnancy is linked to adverse outcomes and neurodevelopmental issues.
- Maternal nutritional status before conception can influence offspring health.
- Investigating preconception tHcy provides insight into early developmental risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between maternal preconception plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels and psychological problems in 6-year-old children.
- To determine if maternal nutritional status prior to pregnancy affects child psychological outcomes.
- To add evidence for public health policies concerning preconception maternal health.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study followed 81 mother-child dyads from preconception to offspring age 6.
- Maternal fasting plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) was measured preconception and at birth.
- Child psychological problems were assessed at age 6 using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the Inattention-Overactivity with Aggression (IOWA) scale.
Main Results:
- Higher preconception tHcy was significantly associated with increased internalizing dimensions in children.
- Specific internalizing behaviors linked to higher preconception tHcy included social problems, anxiety/depression, and withdrawn behavior.
- Higher maternal preconception tHcy also correlated with increased aggressive behavior in the school setting.
Conclusions:
- Moderately elevated maternal preconception total homocysteine (tHcy) may elevate the risk of psychological problems in children.
- Maternal nutritional status before pregnancy plays a crucial role in offspring's later health.
- These findings highlight the importance of preconception maternal health for public health strategies.
Objective:
We investigated the effect of maternal preconception fasting plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) on psychological problems in children aged 6 years from normal pregnancies.
Design:
A longitudinal study was carried out from preconception, throughout each trimester of pregnancy, until 6 years of age in the offspring. Fasting blood samples at 2-10 weeks preconception and non-fasting samples at birth were collected. Parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and teachers the Inattention-Overactivity with Aggression (IOWA) scale for the 6-year-old children.
Setting:
Elevated tHcy during pregnancy has been associated with several adverse outcomes and with neurodevelopmental impairment in the offspring.ParticipantsThe initial sample consisted of 139 healthy non-pregnant women who were planning on becoming pregnant. Eighty-one mother-child dyads were followed from preconception until 6 years of age.
Results:
After adjusting for covariables, multiple linear regression models showed that higher preconception tHcy was associated with higher scores in internalizing dimension (β=0·289; P=0.028), specifically in withdrawn behaviour (β=0·349; P=0·009), anxiety/depression (β=0·303; P=0·019) and social problems (β=0·372; P=0·009). Aggressive behaviour in the school setting was higher in children whose mothers had higher preconception tHcy (β=0·351; P=0·014).
Conclusions:
Moderately elevated preconception tHcy may increase the risk of psychological problems in offspring during childhood. These findings add to the evidence that maternal nutritional status, even before being pregnant, can affect later offspring health and may be important to consider when developing future public health policy.
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