A Pregnant Mom’s Diet Can Put Her Child At Risk For ADHD And Autism
Expectant mothers are always told to avoid alcohol, tobacco, and certain medications during pregnancy, as these substances can harm the fetus. But modern prenatal advice doesn’t really discuss the risks that come with eating a typical Western diet.
A new study has shown that eating the standard Western diet during pregnancy is significantly associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in children, particularly ADHD and autism.
“The greater a woman’s adherence to a Western diet in pregnancy—high in fat, sugar, and refined products while low in fish, vegetables, and fruit—the greater the risk appears to be for her child developing ADHD or autism,” said Dr. David Horner, the lead author of the study.
Millions of children all over the world are affected by neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and autism. For instance, Danish registries reported in 2020 that 5.9 percent of males and three percent of females developed ADHD during childhood and adolescence.
Meanwhile, 4.3 percent of males and 1.8 percent of females received autism diagnoses. These figures align with global estimates of about 5.9 percent for ADHD and up to 1.1 percent for autism.
Researchers from the Copenhagen Protective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC) examined data from 508 mother-child pairs.
They looked at maternal dietary patterns at 24 weeks of pregnancy and then assessed the children for neurodevelopmental disorders at age 10.
The analysis revealed two main patterns: a varied dietary pattern that reflected a variety of food and a Western dietary pattern featuring high consumption of processed meats, refined grains, animal fats, and high-energy drinks, combined with a low intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish.
The findings demonstrated that a Western dietary pattern during pregnancy was significantly associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosis at 53 percent increased odds. For ADHD, it was 66 percent increased odds, and 122 percent increased odds for autism.
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The researchers then used maternal blood samples collected during pregnancy to validate the findings. They identified 43 metabolites linked to the Western dietary pattern.
Of the metabolites, 15 of them were discovered to mediate the relationship between the Western diet and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
“We found that 15 of these 43 metabolites were particularly linked to the increased risk of ADHD. Many of these metabolites are derived from dietary intake and play key roles in regulating inflammation and oxidative stress—factors believed to be critical in early neurodevelopmental,” said Dr. Horner.
There were some plant-based metabolites like ergothioneine that showed potential protective effects, while certain lipid-related metabolites seemed to have negative impacts on neurodevelopment.
The strongest associations were observed in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, indicating that brain development is especially sensitive to maternal nutritional influences during this period.
By learning more about how maternal diet influences fetal development, experts can better pinpoint the key nutrients and dietary adjustments that are needed to lower the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, leading to healthier outcomes for future generations.
The study was published in Nature Metabolism.
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