TY - JOUR
T1 - Dietary patterns at 6, 15 and 24 months of age are associated with IQ at 8 years of age
AU - Smithers, Lisa G.
AU - Golley, Rebecca K.
AU - Mittinty, Murthy N.
AU - Brazionis, Laima
AU - Northstone, Kate
AU - Emmett, Pauline
AU - Lynch, John W.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments We are extremely grateful to all the families who took part in this study, the midwives for their help in recruiting them, and the whole ALSPAC team, which includes interviewers, computer and laboratory technicians, clerical workers, research scientists, volunteers, managers, receptionists and nurses. The UK Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust (Grant ref: 092731) and the University of Bristol provide core support for the ALSPAC study. JWL is supported by an Australia Fellowship (570120) and RKG with a Postdoctoral Training Fellowship (478115) from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. LGS, LB and MNM are supported by funds from the Australia Fellowship awarded to JWL. KN and PE are partly supported by funding from European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (245012).
PY - 2012/7
Y1 - 2012/7
N2 - Diet supplies the nutrients needed for the development of neural tissues that occurs over the first 2 years of life. Our aim was to examine associations between dietary patterns at 6, 15 and 24 months and intelligence quotient (IQ) scores at 8 years. Participants were enrolled in an observational birth cohort (ALSPAC study, n = 7,097). Dietary data was collected by questionnaire and patterns were extracted at each time using principal component analysis. IQ was measured using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children at 8 years. Associations between dietary patterns and IQ were examined in regression analyses adjusted for potential confounding and by propensity score matching, with data imputation for missing values. At all ages, higher scores on a Discretionary pattern (characterized by biscuits, chocolate, sweets, soda, crisps) were associated with 1-2 point lower IQ. A Breastfeeding pattern at 6 months and Homemade contemporary patterns at 15 and 24 months (herbs, legumes, cheese, raw fruit and vegetables) were associated with 1-to-2 point higher IQ. A Home-made traditional pattern (meat, cooked vegetables, desserts) at 6 months was positively associated with higher IQ scores, but there was no association with similar patterns at 15 or 24 months. Negative associations were found with patterns characterized by Ready-prepared baby foods at 6 and 15 months and positive associations with a Ready-to-eat foods pattern at 24 months. Propensity score analyses were consistent with regression analyses. This study suggests that dietary patterns from 6 to 24 months may have a small but persistent effect on IQ at 8 years.
AB - Diet supplies the nutrients needed for the development of neural tissues that occurs over the first 2 years of life. Our aim was to examine associations between dietary patterns at 6, 15 and 24 months and intelligence quotient (IQ) scores at 8 years. Participants were enrolled in an observational birth cohort (ALSPAC study, n = 7,097). Dietary data was collected by questionnaire and patterns were extracted at each time using principal component analysis. IQ was measured using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children at 8 years. Associations between dietary patterns and IQ were examined in regression analyses adjusted for potential confounding and by propensity score matching, with data imputation for missing values. At all ages, higher scores on a Discretionary pattern (characterized by biscuits, chocolate, sweets, soda, crisps) were associated with 1-2 point lower IQ. A Breastfeeding pattern at 6 months and Homemade contemporary patterns at 15 and 24 months (herbs, legumes, cheese, raw fruit and vegetables) were associated with 1-to-2 point higher IQ. A Home-made traditional pattern (meat, cooked vegetables, desserts) at 6 months was positively associated with higher IQ scores, but there was no association with similar patterns at 15 or 24 months. Negative associations were found with patterns characterized by Ready-prepared baby foods at 6 and 15 months and positive associations with a Ready-to-eat foods pattern at 24 months. Propensity score analyses were consistent with regression analyses. This study suggests that dietary patterns from 6 to 24 months may have a small but persistent effect on IQ at 8 years.
KW - ALSPAC
KW - Dietary patterns
KW - Infant
KW - Intelligence quotient
KW - Toddler
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84866041685&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10654-012-9715-5
DO - 10.1007/s10654-012-9715-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 22810299
AN - SCOPUS:84866041685
SN - 0393-2990
VL - 27
SP - 525
EP - 535
JO - European Journal of Epidemiology
JF - European Journal of Epidemiology
IS - 7
ER -