Associations of maternal dietary carbohydrate intake, glycemic index, and glycemic load during pregnancy with offspring neurodevelopment

Identifier:  imarina:9468625

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9468625

Authors:  Mateu-Fabregat, Javier; Canals, Josefa; Jardi, Cristina; Hernandez-Martinez, Carmen; Voltas, Nuria; Bullo, Monica; Arija, Victoria

Abstract:
Emerging evidence suggests that periconceptional nutrition could significantly impact children's brain development. Few studies have explored the effect of maternal carbohydrate intake on offspring's cognitive outcomes. Evidence suggests poor glycemic control during pregnancy may impair neurodevelopment. Optimizing maternal carbohydrate intake during pregnancy by focusing on low to moderate glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) foods may reduce these risks. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between maternal carbohydrate intake, dietary GI, and GL during first and third trimesters of pregnancy and children's neurodevelopment in the early postnatal period and preschool years. The study included 420 mother-child pairs from the ECLIPSES cohort. Maternal carbohydrate intake, GI, and GL were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire during the first and third trimesters. Children's neurodevelopment was assessed at 40 days of age using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and at 4 years using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence and the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Maternal carbohydrate intake, GI, and GL were negatively associated with expressive language development in the early postnatal period (P < 0.05). Children of mothers in the highest GL tertile during early pregnancy showed lower motor development at 40 days (beta coefficient [95% CI] = -3.517 [-6.898, -0.135], P-trend 0.041). Higher maternal carbohydrate consumption and GL throughout pregnancy were linked to lower processing speed, intelligence quotient, nonverbal skills, and visuomotor precision at preschool age (all P-trend < 0.05). Conclusion: The quantity and quality of maternal carbohydrate intake, particularly GL, influence children's neurodevelopment, including language, motor skills, processing speed, nonverbal abilities, overall intellectual functions, and visuomotor precision, highlighting the need for more refined dietary recommendations during pregnancy.