Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 1, 2025
Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development
Published on: May 17, 2024
Maternal pregnancy diet, postnatal home environment and executive function and behavior in 3- to 4-y-olds
Neda Mortaji1, John E Krzeczkowski1, Khrista Boylan2
1Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Optimal maternal nutrition during pregnancy positively impacts child executive function and adaptability, especially in homes with reduced stimulation. This highlights the crucial role of prenatal diet in child neurodevelopment, even amidst environmental challenges.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Nutritional Science
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is linked to improved child cognitive and behavioral outcomes.
- The impact of prenatal diet on children in suboptimal postnatal environments remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of maternal pregnancy diet on executive function and behavior in children raised in less stimulating home environments.
Main Methods:
- 808 mother-infant dyads from a Canadian study were analyzed.
- Maternal diet assessed via Healthy Eating Index 2010; postnatal home environment via HOME scale.
- Child executive function and behavior assessed using standardized rating scales.
Main Results:
- Maternal diet quality positively correlated with child working memory, planning, and adaptability.
- This association strengthened as postnatal stimulation and support decreased.
Conclusions:
- Maternal pregnancy diet quality is associated with better executive function and adaptability in young children.
- Prenatal nutrition may buffer negative effects of suboptimal postnatal environments on child neurodevelopment.
Background:
Optimal maternal nutrition during pregnancy has been linked to better cognitive and behavioral development in children. However, its influence on the effects of suboptimal postnatal exposures like reduced stimulation and support in the home is not known.
Objectives:
To examine the effect of maternal pregnancy diet on executive function and/or behavioral development in children raised in suboptimal home environments.
Methods:
Data were provided by 808 mother-infant dyads from the Canadian Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals-Child Development study. Maternal pregnancy diet was self-reported using the Healthy Eating Index 2010 questionnaire. Stimulation and support in the home was assessed using the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) when children were 3-4 y old. Child executive function was reported by mothers at this age using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning-Preschool Edition, and child behavior was assessed using the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2nd Edition. We examined the interaction of maternal pregnancy diet and postnatal HOME scores on child executive function and behavior using linear regression adjusted for maternal education, postpartum depression, prepregnancy BMI, and smoking.
Results:
Maternal pregnancy diet was associated with an increasingly positive association with child working memory (β: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.82, 3.41; P = 0.001), planning (β: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.38, 2.84; P = 0.007), and adaptability (β: -0.13; 95% CI: -1.72, -0.08; P = 0.032) as levels of postnatal stimulation decreased.
Conclusions:
The positive association of maternal pregnancy diet quality and executive function and adaptability in 3- to 4-y-olds appeared to increase with decreasing levels of postnatal stimulation and support. These results suggest that overall maternal pregnancy diet could be linked to better child neurodevelopment in families experiencing barriers to providing stimulation and support to children in their home.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
01:29Environmental Influences on Intelligence
01:30Information Processing Approach