A study has found that a mother’s diet during pregnancy can have a long-lasting affect on a child’s IQ and brain structure before they are even born
A person’s diet during pregnancy could significantly impact their child’s brain structure and cognitive function for over a decade, according to a groundbreaking study. The research, which took decades to complete, has shed light on the profound influence parents can have on their children’s IQ and brain structure even before they are born.
While it is common knowledge that certain foods and substances should be avoided during pregnancy, researchers in the Netherlands have discovered the long-lasting positive effects of specific maternal diets. They found that a healthier prenatal diet resulted in larger brain volume, improved brain structure, and better cognitive outcomes in children.
These effects were most pronounced until around age 10, after which they began to slightly diminish. Published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study assessed the IQ of children aged between 8 and 14.
Over 6,000 expectant mothers who were due to give birth between 2002 and 2006 participated in the research. Their diets during the first trimester were evaluated based on how closely they adhered to the Netherlands’ national dietary guidelines.
The ‘better prenatal diets’ were those that followed these guidelines more strictly. The researchers identified the first trimester as a “critical window” for the unborn child’s brain development, with a healthier diet during this period strongly linked to the child’s cognition and brain structure.
The children underwent MRI scans, IQ tests and other evaluations throughout their lives, with an average IQ of 103 at the age of 8. The study also found that better prenatal diets were associated specifically with stronger matrix reasoning and vocabulary scores in the children.
By the time they reached 10 years old, there were significant associations between prenatal diet and subcortical volumes, grey matter, white matter, and total brain volumes. However, by the age of 14, the link between prenatal diet and a child’s cognitive abilities and brain structure began to weaken when the child’s own diet was considered.
Further research is needed on this ground-breaking discovery, with future studies set to examine the effects as the children grow into adults, the impact on specific areas of the brain, and the inclusion of participants from more diverse populations.
