Prenatal Folate and Choline Levels and Brain and Cognitive Development in Children: A Critical Narrative Review
Women’s nutritional status during pregnancy can have long-term effects on children’s brains and cognitive development. Folate and choline are methyl-donor nutrients and are important for closure of the neural tube during fetal development. They have also been associated with brain and cognitive deve...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/2/364 |
| _version_ | 1797491352299110400 |
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| author | Nathalie Irvine Gillian England-Mason Catherine J. Field Deborah Dewey Fariba Aghajafari |
| author_facet | Nathalie Irvine Gillian England-Mason Catherine J. Field Deborah Dewey Fariba Aghajafari |
| author_sort | Nathalie Irvine |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Women’s nutritional status during pregnancy can have long-term effects on children’s brains and cognitive development. Folate and choline are methyl-donor nutrients and are important for closure of the neural tube during fetal development. They have also been associated with brain and cognitive development in children. Animal studies have observed that prenatal folate and choline supplementation is associated with better cognitive outcomes in offspring and that these nutrients may have interactive effects on brain development. Although some human studies have reported associations between maternal folate and choline levels and child cognitive outcomes, results are not consistent, and no human studies have investigated the potential interactive effects of folate and choline. This lack of consistency could be due to differences in the methods used to assess folate and choline levels, the gestational trimester at which they were measured, and lack of consideration of potential confounding variables. This narrative review discusses and critically reviews current research examining the associations between maternal levels of folate and choline during pregnancy and brain and cognitive development in children. Directions for future research that will increase our understanding of the effects of these nutrients on children’s neurodevelopment are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:47:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8b642fedd7f34ffba930132aa22538b3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:47:09Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-8b642fedd7f34ffba930132aa22538b32023-11-23T14:58:15ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432022-01-0114236410.3390/nu14020364Prenatal Folate and Choline Levels and Brain and Cognitive Development in Children: A Critical Narrative ReviewNathalie Irvine0Gillian England-Mason1Catherine J. Field2Deborah Dewey3Fariba Aghajafari4O’Brien Centre for the Bachelor of Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, CanadaOwerko Centre, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-126C Li Ka Shing Centre for Research, 11203-87th Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H5, CanadaOwerko Centre, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3D10, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, CanadaWomen’s nutritional status during pregnancy can have long-term effects on children’s brains and cognitive development. Folate and choline are methyl-donor nutrients and are important for closure of the neural tube during fetal development. They have also been associated with brain and cognitive development in children. Animal studies have observed that prenatal folate and choline supplementation is associated with better cognitive outcomes in offspring and that these nutrients may have interactive effects on brain development. Although some human studies have reported associations between maternal folate and choline levels and child cognitive outcomes, results are not consistent, and no human studies have investigated the potential interactive effects of folate and choline. This lack of consistency could be due to differences in the methods used to assess folate and choline levels, the gestational trimester at which they were measured, and lack of consideration of potential confounding variables. This narrative review discusses and critically reviews current research examining the associations between maternal levels of folate and choline during pregnancy and brain and cognitive development in children. Directions for future research that will increase our understanding of the effects of these nutrients on children’s neurodevelopment are discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/2/364pregnancycholinefolatechildrenneurodevelopmentbrain development |
| spellingShingle | Nathalie Irvine Gillian England-Mason Catherine J. Field Deborah Dewey Fariba Aghajafari Prenatal Folate and Choline Levels and Brain and Cognitive Development in Children: A Critical Narrative Review Nutrients pregnancy choline folate children neurodevelopment brain development |
| title | Prenatal Folate and Choline Levels and Brain and Cognitive Development in Children: A Critical Narrative Review |
| title_full | Prenatal Folate and Choline Levels and Brain and Cognitive Development in Children: A Critical Narrative Review |
| title_fullStr | Prenatal Folate and Choline Levels and Brain and Cognitive Development in Children: A Critical Narrative Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prenatal Folate and Choline Levels and Brain and Cognitive Development in Children: A Critical Narrative Review |
| title_short | Prenatal Folate and Choline Levels and Brain and Cognitive Development in Children: A Critical Narrative Review |
| title_sort | prenatal folate and choline levels and brain and cognitive development in children a critical narrative review |
| topic | pregnancy choline folate children neurodevelopment brain development |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/2/364 |
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