Vitamin C During Pregnancy Supports Baby's Early Brain Development: Study

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“A strong body of research shows that the intrauterine environment shapes cardiometabolic health. We’re now learning how it also influences brain development and infant behavioural health,” said lead author Elizabeth Wood, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry in the OHSU School of Medicine. “As we learn more, we’re focusing on what we can do to promote healthy outcomes. Our top priority is the health of the pregnant woman and her baby. If there are evidence-based recommendations we can make to support patients during pregnancy and promote healthy brain development in their babies, that’s something we want to pursue and make widely accessible.”

Benefits Of Vitamin C During Pregnancy

Dietary vitamin C is primarily obtained from fruits and vegetables, which can be expensive and difficult to access for some people, especially for low-income individuals and those living in remote areas. Maternal prenatal stress has significant impacts on diet and nutrition, researchers note, often contributing to a lack of key nutrients in the mother, which can then influence their infant’s socioemotional development — meaning how they learn secure bonds and understand and manage their emotions. Given its anti-oxidative and stress-regulating properties, researchers hypothesized that supplemental vitamin C, taken daily as a pill, could potentially reduce that risk.

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This study also aimed to understand the differences between dietary and supplemental sources of vitamin C (from food versus a supplement) and measure their impact on infant neurodevelopment, with the goal to improve clinical guidance and policy recommendations around nutrition in pregnancy.

Researchers collected and analyzed mental health and nutrition data from over 300 pregnant women, including measuring vitamin C intake through food sources and supplements. First, maternal mental health was assessed using standardized clinical measures of depression, anxiety and stress; then, trained dieticians repeatedly facilitated calls with study participants to capture data on dietary consumption and determine total vitamin C intake. Finally, when study participants’ infants were approximately 6 months old, caregivers completed a questionnaire to explore infant behavioural characteristics and temperament in the home environment. Analyses of these data showed that mothers who reported higher levels of stress during pregnancy (and thus lower levels of vitamin C intake) were more likely to have infants who showed negative emotions, such as fussiness and distress, at 6 months of age, which can be an early indicator for risk of future mental health disorders.

What Did The Researchers Find?

However, encouragingly, supplemental vitamin C intake during pregnancy was a significant mediator for negative emotions in infants, suggesting it may provide significant protective benefits to the foetal environment and the process in which a baby’s brain develops, said senior author Elinor Sullivan, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience in the OHSU School of Medicine.

Sullivan added, “The most encouraging takeaway here is that nutrition is relatively modifiable, especially when people have adequate resources and support,” Sullivan said. “Vitamin C supplements are inexpensive, easy to access and something patients can start incorporating immediately and consistently into their daily lives. “This seemingly small change could make a huge impact for children and families down the line.”

Researchers say these results further underscore the importance of comprehensive prenatal care, including targetted nutritional counseling and increased food access. The research team also plans to follow the study subjects as they grow to determine how these interventions may continue to mitigate long-term risk and impact clinical diagnosis.

“Nutrition is a crucial component for a healthy pregnancy, and as we’re learning more and more, also for a healthy early childhood,” Wood said. “By removing barriers to food access and making nutrition counselling a priority for patients receiving prenatal care, we can make a difference for the health of mothers and babies for years to come.” (Oregon Health & Science University)

Source:

https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2028-46447-001.html