A recent study has revealed that a healthy diet during pregnancy could reduce the risk of autism and social communication difficulties in children. This research was based on the analysis of data from two large cohorts in Norway and the United Kingdom, providing significant evidence on the impact of prenatal nutrition on child neurological development.
The study included 84,548 mother-infant pairs from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) and 11,670 pairs from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Researchers found that mothers who followed a healthy diet during pregnancy were less likely to have children diagnosed with autism or facing social communication challenges.
The results underline the importance of a nutritious prenatal diet, associating it with a 22% reduction in the risk of being diagnosed with autism. A significant decrease in social communication difficulties was also observed in children whose mothers maintained a healthy diet during pregnancy.
Autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social communication and repetitive and restricted behaviors, affects 1% to 2% of the general population. The etiology of autism is complex and multifactorial, with prenatal factors such as diet emerging as significant influences.
The study used food frequency questionnaires to assess prenatal dietary patterns, categorizing them into low, medium, and high adherence to a healthy diet. The findings were consistent across both cohorts: higher adherence to a healthy diet during pregnancy was associated with lower odds of children being diagnosed with autism and facing social communication problems at ages 3 and 8.
The researchers employed rigorous methodology to ensure the reliability of their results. They used factor analysis to derive a healthy prenatal dietary pattern, which included a high intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and whole grains, and a low intake of red and processed meats, soft drinks and foods high in fat and refined carbohydrates.
Autism diagnoses in the MoBa cohort were confirmed using the Norwegian Patient Register, which collects all diagnoses made in the public specialist healthcare system. Social communication difficulties were assessed using the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and the Social and Communication Disorders Checklist (SCDC).
In the MoBa cohort, high adherence to a healthy prenatal diet was associated with a lower likelihood of autism diagnosis (odds ratio [OR]0.78; 95% confidence interval [IC]0.66-0.92). In addition, a lower probability of social communication difficulties was observed at 3 years (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.70-0.82) and at 8 years (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55-0.98) in both MoBa and ALSPAC.
The study found no consistent associations with restrictive and repetitive behaviors, another key aspect of autism. This suggests that different autism traits may have distinct etiological pathways and may be influenced differently by prenatal diet.
Researchers have put forward several hypotheses about how a healthy diet during pregnancy might reduce the risk of autism and social communication difficulties. One theory is that a nutritious diet supports optimal fetal brain development by providing essential nutrients crucial for neurological development. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, are known for their role in brain structure and function. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of a healthy diet might mitigate chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, factors linked to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Strengths of the study include the large sample size and prospective design, which reduces the risk of recall bias and allows for a more accurate assessment of prenatal diet and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Replication of the findings in two different cohorts also reinforces the robustness of the results.
However, the study has limitations. Self-reported dietary data may be subject to measurement error, and individual assessments of diet during pregnancy may not reflect dietary changes over time. Although the researchers adjusted for a variety of confounders, unmeasured confounders cannot be ruled out entirely.
Keep reading:
- The hallucinogenic mushroom modifies brain networks for weeks
- Scientists discover how obesity affects semen
- Competition and shortage of weight loss drugs increases