Maternal fermented food intake and infant neurodevelopment: The Japan Environment and Children's Study

Fermented foods play an important role in establishing intestinal bacterial flora, and the composition of the intestinal bacterial flora might be associated with neurodevelopment. This study investigated the association between maternal intake of fermented foods during pregnancy and early neuro-development in offspring.

Data were analyzed for 73,522 pregnant women participating in the Japan Environment and Children's Study. Their intake of four common fermented foods during pregnancy was assessed using a semi-quantitative FFQ. Neurodevelopment in their infants at 1 year of age was estimated using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires.

Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that maternal intake of miso soup and fermented soybeans was each associated with a significantly reduced risk of delay in infant communication skills. Maternal intake of fermented soybeans and cheese was each associated with a significantly reduced risk of delay in fine motor skills in the third and fourth quartiles. For problem-solving, preventive associations were observed with maternal intake of fermented soybeans in the second and third quartiles and with maternal intake of cheese in the third and fourth quartiles. Maternal intake of yogurt was associated with a significantly reduced risk of delay in personal-social skills in the third and fourth quartiles, while that of cheese was associated with a reduced risk in the third quartile. No reductions in risk were observed for gross motor skills.

Our results suggest that fermented food intake during pregnancy may have beneficial associations with several areas of psychomotor development in children.