Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2025
Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development
Published on: May 17, 2024
Maternal prenatal nut and seafood consumption and child neuropsychological function from 4 to 15 years of age: a
Ariadna Pinar-Martí1, Nicolas Ayala-Aldana2, Marina Ruiz-Rivera2
1Clinical and Epidemiological Neuroscience (NeuroÈpia), Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Reus, Spain; ISGlobal, Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona-Campus MAR, PRBB, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
Insights
Maternal consumption of nuts and fatty fish during pregnancy is linked to improved child cognitive function, with omega-3 fatty acids playing a mediating role in attention development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Nutritional Science
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Maternal diet during pregnancy is crucial for fetal brain development.
- Pregnancy is a vulnerable period for the developing brain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between maternal intake of nuts, seafood, and large fatty fish during pregnancy and offspring neuropsychological function up to age 15.
- To investigate the mediating role of omega-3 fatty acids in these associations.
Main Methods:
- The study followed 1737 mother-child pairs from the Spanish Childhood and Environment birth cohort.
- Maternal diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire; offspring neuropsychological function was measured via computer-based tests assessing attention, working memory, and fluid intelligence.
- Statistical analyses included linear mixed-effects regression and generalized structural equation modeling.
Main Results:
- Higher maternal nut intake correlated with better offspring attention and working memory.
- Increased consumption of large fatty fish by mothers was associated with improved offspring attention and fluid intelligence.
- Omega-3 fatty acids accounted for 8%-14% of the beneficial effects on attention.
Conclusions:
- Maternal dietary intake of nuts and omega-3-rich fish during pregnancy may positively influence long-term cognitive development in children.
- These findings highlight the importance of maternal nutrition for supporting offspring brain health.
Background:
Understanding the role of maternal diet in early brain development is critical, as pregnancy represents a period of significant vulnerability and growth for the developing brain.
Objectives:
This study aims to assess the association between maternal nuts, total seafood, and large fatty fish consumption during pregnancy and offspring neuropsychological function ≤15 y, considering the potential mediation of omega-3 fatty acids.
Methods:
This study was part of The Spanish Childhood and Environment birth cohort, following 1737 mother-child pairs from pregnancy to age 15. Maternal diet was evaluated using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, whereas children's neuropsychological function was measured through standardized computer-based tests. Attention (hit reaction time and its variability, HRT and HRT-SE) was measured with the Conners' Kiddie Continuous Performance Test and the Attention Network Test. Working memory (detectability in 2-back, d2', and 3-back tasks, d3') was evaluated using the N-back task. Fluid intelligence was assessed with Raven's Progressive Matrices and the Test of Primary Mental Abilities. Linear mixed-effects regression models assessed the association of nuts, seafood and large fatty fish with neuropsychological outcomes, whereas generalized structural equation modeling was used for mediation analyses.
Results:
Higher maternal nut consumption was significantly linked to improved attention [HRT-SE β = -0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.09, -0.00] and working memory (d2' β = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.09, and d3' β = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.11) in offspring. Greater consumption of large fatty fish was associated with better attention (HRT-SE β = -0.06, 95% CI: -0.10, -0.02; and HRT β = -0.04, 95% CI: -0.08, -0.00), and fluid intelligence (β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.13). Omega-3 fatty acids mediated 8%-14% of these effects on attention.
Conclusions:
Maternal diet at pregnancy and omega-3 intake may support long-term cognitive development in children and adolescents.
