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A Western Dietary Pattern during Pregnancy is Associated with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Childhood and

David Horner, Jens Richardt M Jepsen, Bo Chawes

    Medrxiv : the Preprint Server for Health Sciences
    |March 18, 2024
    PubMed

    Insights

    A Western diet during pregnancy is linked to higher risks of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism in children. Early prenatal nutrition may be key to preventing these neurodevelopmental disorders.

    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Developmental Biology
    • Nutritional Science

    Background:

    • Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are prevalent, yet the impact of maternal diet during pregnancy remains understudied.
    • A significant knowledge gap exists regarding prenatal nutrition's role in child neurodevelopment.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the association between maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring.
    • To identify specific dietary patterns and their correlation with conditions like ADHD and autism.

    Main Methods:

    • An observational clinical study of 508 children at age 10, using self-reported food frequency questionnaires to define dietary patterns.
    • Validation of findings in three independent mother-child cohorts.
    • Blood metabolome analysis at 24 weeks gestation to identify mediating metabolites and assess predictive value for ADHD.

    Main Results:

    • A Western dietary pattern during pregnancy was significantly associated with increased odds of ADHD and autism diagnoses and symptoms.
    • These associations were consistently observed across multiple large, independent cohorts.
    • Metabolome modeling identified 15 causally mediating metabolites, enhancing ADHD prediction, with effects evident from early to mid-pregnancy.

    Conclusions:

    • Maternal Western diet during pregnancy is a risk factor for childhood neurodevelopmental disorders.
    • Early pregnancy nutrition plays a critical role, suggesting potential for targeted prenatal dietary interventions.
    • Findings support the development of evidence-based dietary guidelines to mitigate NDD risk.

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