Maternal nutritional imbalance affects infant brain development

According to researchers, undernutrition during pregnancy is one of the risk factors for diseases in children as they grow older, adding that maternal malnutrition remains a global issue for women. Researchers in Japan have now studied if the same effects might be detected in people in the first human cohort study on the relationship between maternal nutritional imbalance and infant brain development.
Dr. Kunio Miyake, a researcher at the University of Yamanashi and first author of the study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, said, “Most pregnant women in Japan consume far less dietary fibre than what is the recommended intake. Our results provided reinforcing evidence that undernutrition during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay in children.”
In comparison to the highest-intake group, the children of mothers in the low-intake groups were more likely to show neurodevelopmental delays. The effect of maternal fibre undersupply was noticeable in several domains related to brain function. Affected were communication skills, problem-solving skills, and personal-social skills. The researchers also found delays in the development of large body part movement and Children’s Study. It is an ongoing project to elucidate how the environment affects children’s health.
"Nutritional guidance is crucial: The researchers also found that the median dietary fibre intake in Japan is just over 10 grams a day. Only 8.4 per cent of Japanese pregnant women consumed enough fibre. They also pointed out that the recommended fibre intake for pregnant women varies: While in Japan, the recommended daily dietary fibre intake is 18 grams each day, it is 28 grams in the US and Canada. “Our results show that nutritional guidance for pregnant mothers is crucial to reduce the risk of future health problems for their children,” said Miyake.
The researchers also pointed to certain limitations of their study. “Human studies cannot assess the effects of dietary fibre alone. Although this study considered the impact of folic acid intake during pregnancy, the possibility of other nutrients having an impact cannot be completely ruled out,” Miyake pointed out, adding, “In addition, dietary fibre intake from supplements could not be investigated.”