Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and COPSAC have found that a Western dietary pattern during pregnancy is associated with a significantly higher risk of ADHD and autism in children, emphasizing the importance and potential impact of dietary interventions in maternal nutrition.
A new comprehensive clinical study from Denmark indicates that the dietary choices of pregnant women can significantly influence the neurodevelopmental health of their children. According to the research conducted by the University of Copenhagen and the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC) at the Danish Paediatric Asthma Centre, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, a Western diet — high in fat, sugar and low in fresh ingredients — during pregnancy is strongly associated with an increased risk of ADHD and autism in children.
“The greater a woman’s adherence to a Western diet in pregnancy — high in fat, sugar and refined products while low in fish, vegetables and fruit — the greater the risk appears to be for her child developing ADHD or autism,” lead author David Horner, a doctoral student in the Department of Food Science, Food Analytics and Biotechnology at the University of Copenhagen, said in a news release.
The extensive study, published in Nature Metabolism, utilized data from more than 60,000 mother-child pairs in Denmark and the United States, providing a robust analysis through dietary records, blood samples and ADHD diagnoses.
The findings revealed that even moderate shifts towards a Western dietary pattern were linked to a 66% increased risk of ADHD and a 122% increased risk of autism.
This significant insight presents an opportunity for expecting mothers: making even small dietary adjustments away from a Western diet could potentially reduce the risk of these neurodevelopmental disorders.
Research employing metabolomics — a method that examines metabolic changes in the blood — illustrated that certain biological mechanisms, particularly inflammation and oxidative stress, are influenced by dietary patterns and play a role in early neurodevelopment.
The associations were found to be particularly strong in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, a period crucial for fetal brain development.
“When comparing across cohorts, we observed the strongest associations in the first and second trimesters, suggesting that brain development during this period is particularly sensitive to maternal nutritional influences,” added senior author Morten Arendt Rasmussen, a professor of food microbiology, gut health and fermentation at the University of Copenhagen.
The research shines a spotlight on the current dietary guidelines for pregnant women, which primarily emphasize a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and fish. The study raises questions about the effectiveness and adherence to these recommendations during pregnancy.
“We know that nutritional demands increase during pregnancy, and our study highlights just how crucial dietary composition is for foetal development,” Horner added. “While the Nordic diet is often considered healthy, our data show that many pregnant women follow dietary patterns that could be optimised to better support their child’s development.”
The implications of this research are far-reaching. By understanding how specific dietary patterns impact neurodevelopment, health professionals can better guide and potentially improve dietary recommendations for pregnant women, aiming to foster better neurodevelopmental health outcomes for future generations.
Source: University of Copenhagen