Written by Chrystal Moulton, Staff Writer. Researchers saw a significant interaction between plasma total folate concentrations below 49.3 nmol/L and the association between gestational blood lead levels and SRS-2 scores. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disease that...
The Association of Vitamin D Levels and Depression in Adults, with a Focus on Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women
Written by Harold Oster, MD. Results suggest that in adults, as vitamin D levels increase, the risk of depression decreases, and the association is greater in pregnant and postpartum women. The lifetime risk of depression is as high as 15%, affecting women about twice...
Lutein and Zeaxanthin Intake During Pregnancy Positively Associated with Cognitive and Language Development in Children
Written by Chrystal Moulton, Science Writer. Maternal intake of lutein and zeaxanthin during pregnancy was positively associated with the child's cognitive (beta = 0.003, P= 0.001), and language development (beta = 0.002, P= 0.038). Lutein is a carotenoid found in...
Omega-3 Supplementation Improves Clinical Pregnancy Rate in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Written by Taylor Woosley, Science Writer. Multivariable logistic regression findings show that for two women with the same BMI, the odds of becoming pregnant in the omega-3 group was 65-fold higher than the placebo group (p=0.022). Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)...
Adequate Maternal Iron and Vitamin D Status in the Second Trimester Associated with Reduced Depressive Symptoms in the Third Trimester
Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Higher maternal hepcidin (p = 0.005), serum ferritin (p = 0.048) and 25(OH)D3 (p = 0.001) concentrations during the second trimester were significantly associated with lower depression symptom scores during the third...
Vitamin D Deficiency Associated with Increased Risk of Preterm Birth in Pregnant Black Women
Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Women with vitamin D deficiency were 2.80 times as likely to have a PTB compared to women with sufficient vitamin D levels (p ≤ 0.01). Preterm birth (PTB; birth <37 weeks gestation) is the second leading cause of infant...
High Maternal Vitamin B12 Linked to Increased Risk for Offspring Childhood Autism
Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Findings of the population-based study show a significant association between maternal vitamin B12 levels in the highest quintile and offspring childhood autism (p = 0.026), with a close to significance association noted in the...
DHA Modulates Immune Response Associated with Preterm Birth
Written by Chrystal Moulton, Staff Writer. 1000mg DHA supplementation improves gestational age at delivery by supporting IL-6 and sRAGE concentrations during pregnancy. Docosahexanoic acid or DHA is a highly researched fatty acid clinically shown to attenuate...
Cow’s Milk Consumption During Lactation is Linked to Less Offspring Food Allergies
Written by Joyce Smith, BS. An increased maternal intake of cow’s milk during lactation was associated with a lower prevalence of physician-diagnosed food allergy by 12 months of age. In 2019 Stravik and colleagues 1 examined the associations between the maternal...
Higher Vitamin D Levels during Pregnancy are Linked to Higher IQ in Five to Six Year-Old Offspring
Written by Joyce Smith, BS. This study finds that maternal 25(OH)D during pregnancy is positively associated with children’s neurocognitive development through ages four to six. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent within the general population worldwide and is...