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Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
Published on: June 28, 2024
Higher maternal plasma β-cryptoxanthin concentration is associated with better cognitive and motor development in
Jun S Lai1, Shirong Cai1,2, Bee Lan Lee3
1Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science and Technology Research, Singapore, Singapore.
Insights
Maternal intake of beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene during pregnancy may support early childhood cognitive and motor development. These prenatal carotenoid influences appear most significant by age two, with long-term effects requiring further study.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Background:
- Carotenoids, like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin, are vital nutrients with known antioxidant properties.
- Existing research on carotenoids and neurocognition primarily focuses on cognitive decline in older adults.
- The impact of prenatal carotenoid exposure on early childhood neurodevelopment remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal plasma concentrations of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin and offspring neurocognitive development up to 4.5 years of age.
- To address a gap in the literature regarding the role of specific carotenoids in early childhood brain development.
- To utilize data from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort study.
Main Methods:
- Maternal plasma samples collected at delivery were analyzed for carotenoid concentrations using ultra-performance liquid chromatography.
- Offspring cognitive development was assessed at ages 2 and 4.5 years using standardized developmental scales (Bayley Scales and Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test).
- Linear regression models were employed to examine associations, adjusting for relevant confounding factors in 419 mother-offspring pairs.
Main Results:
- Higher maternal plasma concentrations of beta-cryptoxanthin were positively associated with improved cognitive, receptive language, fine motor, and gross motor scores in 2-year-old children.
- Elevated maternal beta-carotene levels were linked to higher cognitive scores in 2-year-old offspring.
- No significant associations were found between maternal carotenoid levels and neurocognitive functions at 4.5 years of age.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to carotenoids, particularly beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene, may play a beneficial role in early neurocognitive and motor development.
- The observed effects appear most pronounced in early childhood, suggesting a critical prenatal window for these nutrients.
- Further longitudinal studies are necessary to determine if these early developmental influences persist into later childhood.
Purpose:
Current literature on the roles of α-, β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin in neurocognitive function has largely focused on preventing cognitive decline in older people, and less on neuro-development in children. We examined the relations of maternal plasma carotenoids concentrations with offspring cognitive development up to age 4.5 years in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes mother-offspring cohort study.
Methods:
Maternal plasma α-, β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin concentrations at delivery were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Children's cognition was assessed at ages 2 (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development) and 4.5 (Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test) years. Associations were examined in 419 mother-offspring pairs using linear regressions adjusting for key confounders.
Results:
Median and interquartile range of maternal plasma concentrations (mg/L) were: α-carotene 0.052 (0.032, 0.081), β-carotene 0.189 (0.134, 0.286), and β-cryptoxanthin 0.199 (0.123, 0.304). In 2 years old children, higher maternal carotenoids [per standard deviation (SD) log-concentration] were positively associated with neurocognitive functions: β-cryptoxanthin with higher scores in cognitive [β = 0.18, (0.08, 0.28) SD], receptive language [β = 0.17 (0.07, 0.27) SD], fine motor [β = 0.16 (0.05, 0.26) SD], and gross motor [β = 0.16 (0.06, 0.27) SD] scales; β-carotene with higher cognitive score [β = 0.17 (0.05, 0.29) SD]. No significant associations were observed with neurocognitive functions at age 4.5 years.
Conclusion:
Our study provides novel data suggesting a potential role of prenatal carotenoids, particularly β-cryptoxanthin, on early offspring cognitive and motor development. Whether the prenatal influences sustain beyond early childhood requires further investigation in longer term studies.
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