What women eat during pregnancy can modulate risk of ADHD in children

The study examined the number of symptoms in the kids who met the diagnostic criteria for the ADHD and also in ones with few ADHD symptoms.

ANI | Published: March 28, 2019 4:27 pm

A higher omega-6: omega-3 ratio can be linked to a higher risk of the ADHD symptoms at the age of 7. © Shutterstock

According to a new study, the risk of children developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms can be modulated by mother’s diet during while they are pregnant. The study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, had examined samples of umbilical cord plasma to calculate the levels of omega-6 and omega-3 which tend to reach the foetus. According to statistics, a higher omega-6: omega-3 ratio can be linked to a higher risk of the ADHD symptoms at the age of 7.

Omega-6 and omega-3 can be termed as the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids which have a crucial role in the function and architecture of the central nervous system, mainly in the later stages of gestation.

These two fatty acids compete for incorporation into cell membranes and are primarily obtained through diet. Since omega-6 and omega-3 have opposing physiological functions, the former promotes systemic pro-inflammatory states, while the latter promotes anti-inflammatory states, a balanced intake of these two fatty acids is important. Previous research had shown that children with ADHD symptoms have a higher omega-6: omega-3 ratio.

The authors studied data from 600 children living in four Spanish regions (Asturias, Basque Country, Catalonia, and Valencia) who are participating in the INMA Project. They analysed umbilical cord plasma samples and data from questionnaires completed by the children`s mothers. The ADHD symptoms were assessed using two standard questionnaires: the first completed by the children`s teachers at the age of four years, and the second by their parents at the age of seven years.

The results showed that, at the age of seven years, the number of ADHD symptoms increased by 13 per cent per each unit increase in the omega-6: omega-3 ratio in umbilical cord plasma. The study analysed the number of symptoms in the children who met the diagnostic criteria for the ADHD (minimum six symptoms) and also in the children with a smaller number of ADHD symptoms. The ratio of the two fatty acids was associated with the number of the ADHD symptoms present but not with the diagnosis of the disorder, and only in the assessment carried out at seven years of age.

The authors suggest that the assessment carried out at four years of age may have been affected by a measurement error because the ADHD symptoms reported at early ages may be caused by a neurodevelopmental delay falling within the normal range.”Our findings are in line with previous studies that established a relationship between the omega-6: omega-3 ratio in mothers and various early neurodevelopmental outcomes,” commented Monica Lopez-Vicente, ISGlobal researcher and lead author of the study.

“Although the association was not clinically significant, our findings are important at the level of the population as a whole,” noted Lopez-Vicente.”If a large proportion of the population is exposed to a high omega-6: omega-3 ratio, the distribution for the ADHD symptom scores would likely move to the right and the prevalence of extreme values would increase, leading to a negative impact on the community`s health costs and productivity,” added Lopez-Vicente.

“This study adds more evidence to the growing body of research on the importance of maternal diet during pregnancy,” commented Jordi Julvez, a co-author of the study.”The nutrient supply during the earliest stages of life is essential in that it programs the structure and function of the organs, and this programming, in turn, has an impact on health at every stage of life. As the brain takes a long time to develop, it is particularly vulnerable to misprogramming. Alterations of this sort could, therefore, lead to neurodevelopmental disorders.”

Published: March 28, 2019 4:27 pm

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