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Background: There is a need to test the fetal programming theoretical framework in nutritional epidemiology. We evaluated whether maternal seafood intake during pregnancy was associated with 8-year-old attention outcomes after adjusting for previous child seafood intake and cognitive function. We also explored effect modification by several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related with polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) metabolism.Methods: Our final analyses included 1644 mother-child pairs from the prospective INMA (INfancia y Medio Ambiente) cohort study (Spain, recruitment between 2003 and 2008). We used food frequency questionnaires to assess prenatal and postnatal seafood consumption of the mother-child pairs. We evaluated attention function of the children through the computer-based Attention Network Test (ANT) and we used the number of omission errors and the hit reaction time standard error (HRT-SE). Parents reported child attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms using the Revised Conners' Parent Rating Scale Short Form (CPRS-R: S). We measured seven candidate SNPs in a subsample of 845 children. We estimated associations using regression models, adjusting for family characteristics, child seafood intake and cognitive functions at early ages, and to explore SNP effect modifications.Results: Higher total seafood intake during early pregnancy was associated with a reduction of child ANT omission errors, 5th quintile (median = 854 g/week) vs 1st quintile (median = 195 g/week), incidence risk ratio (IRR) 0.76; 95% CI = 0.61, 0.94. Similar results were observed after adjusting the models for child seafood intake and previous cognitive status. Lean, large and small fatty fish showed similar results, and generally similar but less robust associations were observed with the other attention outcomes. Shellfish and canned tuna showed weaker associations. The association patterns were weaker in late pregnancy and null in child seafood consumption. Child rs1260326 (glucokinase regulator, GCKR) and child/maternal rs2281591 (fatty acid elongase 2, ELOVL2) polymorphisms showed nominal P-value for interactions <0.10 between total seafood intake and ANT outcomes.Conclusions: After adjusting for previous child cognitive functions and child seafood intake, high pregnancy consumption (total, lean, small and large fatty fish) was independently associated with improvements of some 8-year-old attention outcomes. Genetic effect modification analyses suggest PUFA intake from seafood as a potential biological mechanism of such association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is scientific evidence on the protective effects of nut intake against cognitive decline in the elderly; however, this effect has been less explored in child neurodevelopment and no studies have explored the potential longitudinal association with nut intake during pregnancy. We aimed to analyze the association of maternal nut intake during pregnancy with child neuropsychological outcomes. We included 2208 mother–child pairs from a population-based birth cohort in four regions of Spain. The follow up settings were during pregnancy (first and third trimesters), birth, 1.5, 5 and 8 years. Neuropsychological examinations were based on Bayley Scales of Infant Development (1.5 years), McCarthy scales of Children's Abilities (5 year), Attention Network Test (ANT, 8 year) and N-Back test (8 year). Nut intake in pregnancy was reported through a validated food frequency questionnaire during the first and the third trimester. Multivariable regressions analyzed associations after controlling for priori selected confounders notably maternal education, social class, body mass index, energy intake, fish intake, omega-3 supplements, alcohol consumption and smoking habits during pregnancy. Children within the highest tertile of maternal nut consumption during first pregnancy trimester (> 32 g/week) had a decrease of 13.82 ms [95% confidence interval (CI) − 23.40, − 4.23] in the ANT—hit reaction time standard error, compared to the first tertile (median 0 g/w). A similar protective association pattern was observed with the other cognitive scores at the different child ages. After correcting for multiple testing using Bonferroni familywise error rate (FWER), Hochberg FWER and Simes false discovery rate, ANT—hit reaction time standard error remained significant. Final model estimates by inverse probability weighting did not change results. Third pregnancy trimester nut intake showed weaker associations. These data indicate that nut intake during early pregnancy is associated with long-term child neuropsychological development. Future cohort studies and randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm this association pattern in order to further extend nutrition guidelines among pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The benefits of the use of folic acid supplements (FASs) during the periconception period to prevent neural tube defects and to ensure normal brain development in offspring are well known. There is concern, however, about the long-term effects of the maternal use of high dosages of FASs that exceed the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) (≥1000 µg/d) on child neurocognitive outcomes. Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the association between the use of high dosages of FASs during pregnancy and child neuropsychological development at ages 4-5 y. Design: The multicenter prospective mother-child cohort study, the Infancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA) Project, was conducted in 4 regions of Spain: Asturias, Sabadell, Gipuzkoa, and Valencia. Pregnant women were recruited between 2003 and 2008. Data on 1682 mother-child pairs were included in the final analyses. The pregnant women completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire that was validated to estimate typical dietary folate intake and the use of FASs at 10-13 and 28-32 wk of gestation. Neuropsychological development scores at 4-5 y of age were estimated with the use of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities. Multiple linear regression and meta-analysis were used to obtain combined-effect estimates. Results: During the periconception period, one-third of the women (n = 502) took FAS dosages ≥1000 μg/d. The use of FAS dosages ≥1000 µg/d in this period was negatively associated with several neuropsychological outcomes scores in children: global verbal (β = -2.49; 95% CI: -4.71, -0.27), verbal memory (β = -3.59; 95% CI: -6.95, -0.23), cognitive function of posterior cortex (β = -2.31; 95% CI: -4.45, -0.18), and cognitive function of left posterior cortex (β = -3.26; 95% CI: -5.51, -1.01). Conclusions: The use of FAS dosages exceeding the UL (≥1000 µg/d) during the periconception period was associated with lower levels of cognitive development in children aged 4-5 y. The use of FAS dosages ≥1000 µg/d during pregnancy should be monitored and prevented as much as possible, unless medically prescribed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction to: I Scientific Reports i https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23432-1, published online 01 December 2022 The original version of this Article contained errors in the spelling of the authors Josefa Canals-Sans and Silvia Fernandez-Barrés which were incorrectly given as Josefa Canals Sans and Silvia Fernandez-Bares. The correct affiliation is listed below: Nutrition and Mental Health Research Group (NUTRISAM), Rovira I Virgili University (URV), C/ Sant Llorenç 21, 43,201, Reus, Tarragona, Spain. [Extracted from the article]

Objective We sought to assess the association between prenatal head growth and child neuropsychological development in the general population. Study Design We evaluated 2104 children at the age of 14 months from a population-based birth cohort in Spain. Head circumference (HC) was measured by ultrasound examinations at weeks 12, 20, and 34 of gestation and by a nurse at birth. Head growth was assessed using conditional SD scores between weeks 12-20 and 20-34. Trained psychologists assessed neuropsychological functioning using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Head size measurements at birth were transformed into a 3-category variable: microcephalic (<10th percentile), normocephalic (≥10th and <90th percentile), and macrocephalic (≥90th percentile) based on the cohort distribution. P values < .05 were considered statistically significant. Results No overall associations were observed between HC or head growth and mental and psychomotor scores. In particular, no associations were found between HC at birth and mental scores (coefficient, 0.04; 95% confidence interval, –0.02 to 0.09) and between interval head growth (20-34 weeks) and mental scores (0.31; 95% confidence interval, –0.36 to 0.99). Upon stratification by microcephalic, normocephalic, or macrocephalic head size, results were imprecise, although there were some significant associations in the microcephalic and macrocephalic groups. Adjustment by various child and maternal cofactors did not affect results. The minimum sample size required for present study was 883 patients (β = 2, α = 0.05, power = 0.80). Conclusion Overall prenatal and perinatal HC was not associated with 14-month-old neuropsychological development. Findings suggest HC growth during uterine life among healthy infants may not be an important marker of early-life neurodevelopment but may be marginally useful with specific populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Disinfection by-products (DBPs) constitute a complex mixture of prevalent chemicals in drinking water and there is evidence of neurotoxicity for some of them. Objectives We evaluated the association between estimates of DBP exposure during pregnancy and child neuropsychological outcomes at 1 and 4–5 years of age. Methods We conducted a population-based mother-child cohort study in Spain with recruitment at first trimester of gestation (INMA Project, 2003–2008). Neuropsychological development was measured at 1 year of age using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and at 4–5 years with the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities. Modeled tap water concentrations of trihalomethanes (THM) were combined with personal ingestion, showering and bathing habits to estimate exposure as ingestion uptake, all route (showering, bathing, ingestion) uptake (μg/day) and crude levels (μg/l) in the residence. Chloroform, brominated THMs (bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, bromoform) and total THMs (chloroform and brominated THMs) were analysed separately. Nine haloacetic acids levels were available in one of the areas. Linear regression was used to estimate associations in 1855 subjects adjusting for covariables. Results The median concentration of total THMs, chloroform, brominated THMs, total haloacetic acids, dichloroacetic acid, and trichloroacetic acid were, respectively 30.3 μg/L, 9.4 μg/L, 11.6 μg/L, 10.5 μg/L, 2.7 μg/L, and 3.1 μg/L. The associations between THM exposure and neuropsychological outcomes were null, except for total and brominated THM uptake though all routes and the general cognitive score at 4–5 years, with a decrease in − 0.54 points (95%CI − 1.03, − 0.05) and − 0.64 (95%CI − 1.16, − 0.12), respectively, for doubling total and brominated THM uptake. A positive association found between dichloroacetic acid and the mental score at 1 year did not persist at 4–5 years. Conclusions Minor associations observed between DBP exposure during gestation and child neuropsychological development at 1 year disappeared at 4–5 years. Although a suggestive association is identified for exposure to brominated THMs and the cognitive score at 4–5 years, chance cannot be ruled out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective is to investigate the relation between cord blood mercury concentrations and child neurobehavioural functioning assessed longitudinally during childhood until pre-adolescence. The study involves mothers and their offspring engaged in the Spanish INMA birth cohort (n = 1147). Total mercury (THg) was determined in cord blood. Behavioural problems were assessed several times during childhood using the ADHD-DSM-IV at age 4, SDQ at ages 7 and 11, CPRS-R:S and the CBCL at ages 7, 9 and 11. Covariates were obtained through questionnaires during the whole period. Multivariate generalised negative binomial (MGNB) models or mixed-effects MGNB (for those tests with information at one or more time points, respectively) were used to investigate the relation between cord blood THg and the children's punctuations. Models were adjusted for prenatal fish intake. Effect modification by sex, prenatal and postnatal fish intake, prenatal fruit and vegetable intake, and maternal polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations (PCBs) was assessed by interaction terms. The geometric mean ± standard deviation of cord blood THg was 8.22 ± 2.19 μg/L. Despite adjusting for fish consumption, our results did not show any statistically significant relationship between prenatal Hg and the children's performance on behavioural tests conducted between the ages of 4 and 11. Upon assessing the impact of various factors, we observed no statistically significant interaction. Despite elevated prenatal THg exposure, no association was found with children's behavioural functioning assessed from early childhood to pre-adolescence. The nutrients in fish could offset the potential neurotoxic impact of Hg. Further birth cohort studies with longitudinal data are warranted. • The Spanish INMA cohort presented elevated prenatal exposure to Hg. • No relation was found between Hg and child behaviour from ages 4 to 11. • No influence of fish, fruit, and vegetable intake, sex or prenatal PCBs was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association between maternal sleep duration (an important health indicator) and neonate birth weight. Methods: The study included 2536 mother‐neonate pairs of a Spanish birth cohort (2004–2006, INMA project). The exposures were questionnaire‐based measures of sleep duration before and during pregnancy. The primary outcome was neonate birth weight score (g) standardized to 40 weeks of gestation. Results: In women sleeping for <7 h/day before pregnancy, each additional hour of sleep increased birth weight score by 44.7 g (P = 0.049) in the minimally adjusted model, although findings were not statistically significant after considering other potential confounders (P > 0.05). However, increasing sleep duration for the group of mothers who slept for more than 9 h/day decreased birth weight score by 39.2 g per additional hour (P = 0.001). Findings were similar after adjusting for several sociodemographic confounders and maternal depression‐anxiety clinical history as an intermediate factor. Similar but attenuated associations were observed with sleep duration in the second trimester of pregnancy. Conclusion: The relationship between maternal sleep duration before and during pregnancy and neonate birth weight is an inverse U‐shaped curve. Excessive sleep duration may adversely affect neonate health through its impact on birth weight. We found an inverse U‐shaped association between maternal sleep duration before and during pregnancy and neonate birth weight, using data from a large cohort study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Bisphenol A (BPA) may be a neurodevelopmental toxicant, but evidence is not consistent in terms of the sex-specific patterns of the associations and the specific behavioral or cognitive domains most affected. Objective To examine the effects of prenatal BPA exposure on cognitive, psychomotor, and behavioral development in 438 children at 1, 4 and 7 years of age. Methods BPA was measured in spot urine samples collected in trimester 1 and 3 of pregnancy from women participating in the INMA-Sabadell birth cohort study. Cognitive and psychomotor development was assessed at 1 and 4 years using psychologist-based scales. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and other behavioral problems were assessed at 4 years by teachers and at 7 years by parents using questionnaire-based rating scales. Results Geometric mean creatinine-adjusted BPA concentration of the averaged samples was 2.6 μg/g creatinine. BPA exposure was not associated with the cognitive scores or their subscales at 1 and 4 years of age. At 1 year of age, exposure in the highest tertile of BPA concentrations was associated with a reduction of psychomotor scores (T3 vs T1 β =−4.28 points, 95% CI: −8.15, −0.41), but there was no association with psychomotor outcomes at 4 years. At 4 years, BPA exposure was associated with an increased risk of ADHD-hyperactivity symptoms (Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) per log 10 μg BPA/g creatinine increase=1.72; 1.08, 2.73) and this association was stronger in boys than in girls. Further, boys had an increased risk of ADHD-inattention symptoms whereas girls showed a reduced risk ( p for interaction <0.1). At 7 years, these associations were not statistically significant nor were any other behavioral problems. Conclusions These results suggest that prenatal BPA exposure does not affect cognitive development up to age 4 years. Associations are observed with psychomotor development and ADHD-related symptoms at early ages, but these do not appear to persist until later ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]