Exploring the relationship between maternal carbohydrate quality and quantity during pregnancy and early childhood neurodevelopment: a prospective cohort study within the BiSC cohort

Autor segons l'article: Panisello, L; Mateu-Fabregat, J; Novau-Ferré, N; Ayala-Aldana, N; Bernardo-Castro, S; Ferrer, M; Jiménez-Arenas, P; Llurba, E; Lassale, C; Gomez-Roig, MD; Vioque, J; González-Palacios, S; Contreras-Rodríguez, O; Foraster, M; Gascon, M; Sunyer, J; Awad, C; Júlvez, J; Bullo, M

Departament: Bioquímica i Biotecnologia

Autor/s de la URV: Bulló Bonet, Mònica / Novau Ferré, Nil

Paraules clau: Spain; Prospective studies; Prenatal exposure delayed effects; Pregnancy; Nutrition; Neurodevelopment; Maternal nutritional physiological phenomena; Maternal nutrition; Male; Infant; Humans; Glycemic load; Glycemic index; Female; Early childhood; Dietary carbohydrates; Dietary; Cohort studies; Child, preschool; Child development; Carbohydrate intake; Adult

Resum: PurposeMaternal nutrition during pregnancy is key for offspring neurodevelopment. Given the role of glucose in brain function, assessing carbohydrate quantity and quality, including glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL) and carbohydrate quality index (CQI), may provide insights into early brain development. This study examined the associations between maternal dietary carbohydrate intake and neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood.MethodsThe prospective cohort study included 1080 mother-child pairs from the Barcelona Life Study Cohort. Maternal dietary carbohydrate intake, GI, GL and CQI were assessed during mid-pregnancy using a food frequency questionnaire. Child neurodevelopment was evaluated at 8 and 28 months using the Developmental Profile 3 (DP-3) and at 18 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III). Associations were analyzed using multivariable linear regression models adjusted for relevant maternal and child covariates.ResultsIncreased maternal carbohydrate intake, GI, and GL were inversely associated with language development (beta (95% CI): - 2.67 (- 5.13, - 0.21), - 2.73 (- 5.21, - 0.26), - 3.51 (- 5.96, - 1.07) respectively) and receptive language (beta (95% CI): - 0.58 (- 1.07, - 0.08), - 0.54 (- 1.04, - 0.04), - 0.70 (- 1.20, - 0.21) respectively) at 18 months, as measured by the BSID-III, although these associations were attenuated after adjustment for maternal and child covariates. Increased GI and lower CQI were associated with lower gross motor scores (beta (95% CI): - 0.49 (- 0.84, - 0.15), 0.39 (0.06, 0.71) respectively) at 18 months (BSID-III), as well as reduced motor development (beta (95% CI): - 3.2 (- 5.50, - 0.76), 2.22 (- 0.1, 4.54) respectively) at 8 and 28 months (DP-3).ConclusionsMaternal carbohydrate quality during pregnancy may influence early neurodevelopment, particularly motor outcomes. Emphasizing low-GI, low-GL and high-CQI carbohydrate sources during pregnancy could support favorable developmental trajectories in offspring.

Àrees temàtiques: Serviço social; Saúde coletiva; Química; Nutrition and dietetics; Nutrition & dietetics; Nutrição; Medicine (miscellaneous); Medicina veterinaria; Medicina iii; Medicina ii; Medicina i; Interdisciplinar; Farmacia; Educação física; Ciências biológicas iii; Ciências biológicas ii; Ciências biológicas i; Ciências ambientais; Ciências agrárias i; Ciência de alimentos

Accès a la llicència d'ús: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/

Adreça de correu electrònic de l'autor: nil.novau@urv.cat; monica.bullo@urv.cat

Data d'alta del registre: 2026-03-02

Versió de l'article dipositat: info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

URL Document de llicència: https://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/

Referència a l'article segons font original: European Journal Of Nutrition. 64 (8): 327-

Referència de l'ítem segons les normes APA: Panisello, L; Mateu-Fabregat, J; Novau-Ferré, N; Ayala-Aldana, N; Bernardo-Castro, S; Ferrer, M; Jiménez-Arenas, P; Llurba, E; Lassale, C; Gomez-Roig, (2025). Exploring the relationship between maternal carbohydrate quality and quantity during pregnancy and early childhood neurodevelopment: a prospective cohort study within the BiSC cohort. European Journal Of Nutrition, 64(8), 327-. DOI: 10.1007/s00394-025-03829-0

DOI de l'article: 10.1007/s00394-025-03829-0

Entitat: Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Any de publicació de la revista: 2025-12-01

Tipus de publicació: Journal Publications