Choline in Pregnancy and Lactation: Essential Knowledge for Clinical Practice

In 1998 choline was identified as an essential nutrient by the United States Institute of Medicine. Choline is known primarily for its roles in neurotransmitter production, cell membrane formation, and methyl and lipid metabolism. Since this discovery the relevance of choline to maternal, fetal, and infant health has been studied intensively. This narrative review provides a coherent update of the latest evidence for field clinicians and healthcare professionals.

A PubMed/ScienceDirect search for human clinical evidence restricted to meta-analysis and systematic/review publications from the last 10 years was undertaken.

Meta-analysis and review publications highlight the importance of choline in supporting maternal health and fetal development during pregnancy by showing promising roles for choline in relation to neurological development, brain and liver function, reduced neural tube defect risk, and adverse pregnancy outcome risk. However, there are clear present-day gaps between habitual choline intakes and intake recommendations with the majority of pregnant and lactating women not meeting adequate intake recommendations for choline. This gap is anticipated to widen given transitions towards plant-based diets which tend to be lower in choline.

Alongside folic acid recommendations, choline supplementation should be considered in dietary recommendations by clinicians during crucial life stages such as pregnancy and lactation when physiological demands for this critical nutrient substantially increase.