AUTHOR=Dai Fei-cai , Wang Peng , Li Qiong , Zhang Lei , Yu Li-jun , Wu Lin , Tao Rui-xue , Zhu Peng 

TITLE=Mediterranean diet during pregnancy and infant neurodevelopment: A prospective birth cohort study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.1078481

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.1078481

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=Abstract
Background: Embryonic neural development is associated with intrauterine nutritional status. However, few cohort studies estimate the relationship between maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy and offspring's early neurodevelopment.
Objective: To examine the impact of the Mediterranean diet (MD) during pregnancy on infant neurodevelopment, including the potential mediating role of cord blood metabolites.
Methods: Among 1471 mother-child pairs in a prospective birth cohort study in Hefei, China, we investigated associations between maternal MD score [calculated based on a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ)] and child neurodevelopment at infancy [assessed using Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3)]. Cord blood metabolic markers (including C-peptide, , high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides) were measured.
Results: The MD score was negatively associated with communication domain developmental delays in infants [relative risk (RR) with 95% CI: 0.34 (0.16, 0.72)]. Compared with girls, boys born from mothers with lower MD scores during pregnancy were inclined to the failure of the communication domain [RRs with 95% CI for boys: 0.34 (0.14, 0.84); for girls: 0.26 (0.06, 1.18)]. Mediation analysis showed that the association in boys between maternal MD score and failure of communication domain mediated by C-peptide was 19.4% but not in girls.
Conclusions: Adhering to the MD during pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of poor neurodevelopment, possibly mediated by lower levels of cord blood C-peptide.