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Maternal Dietary Patterns During Pregnancy and Child Autism-Related Traits in the Environmental Influences on Child

Rachel Vecchione1, Matt Westlake2, Megan G Bragg1

  • 1AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

Nutrients
|November 27, 2024
PubMed

Insights

This study found no strong links between prenatal diet and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. However, healthier prenatal diets were linked to slightly better social responsiveness in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Nutritional Epidemiology
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

  • Prenatal nutrition is crucial for fetal development.
  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition.
  • Understanding environmental influences, including diet, on ASD risk is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between prenatal dietary patterns and autism-related outcomes in children.
  • To analyze the relationship between specific dietary indices and ASD diagnosis and social responsiveness scores.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 14 cohorts within the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) consortium, including up to 6084 participants.
  • Calculated prenatal dietary patterns using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015), Alternative Healthy Eating Index modified for Pregnancy (AHEI-P), and Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP).
  • Employed multivariable regression models to examine associations between dietary patterns and autism-related outcomes (ASD diagnosis, SRS-2 scores).

Main Results:

  • Higher quartiles of prenatal HEI-2015 and AHEI-P scores were associated with lower Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2) scores in adjusted models.
  • No significant associations were found between prenatal dietary patterns and the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
  • Subtle associations suggest potential links between prenatal diet and broader autism-related traits.

Conclusions:

  • Current findings from a large U.S. study do not indicate strong links between overall prenatal dietary patterns and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis.
  • Healthier prenatal dietary patterns may be subtly associated with improved social responsiveness, warranting further investigation.
  • Future research should explore the nuanced relationship between prenatal nutrition and specific ASD-related phenotypes.

Keywords:
AHEI-PEDIPHEISocial Responsiveness Scaleautism spectrum disordersdietary patternsprenatal diet

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