Mothers who followed the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy saw positive effects on their children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development, according to a new study.
The randomized clinical trial, called The Improving Mothers for a Better Prenatal Care Trial Barcelona, followed children born to 1,221 high-risk mothers between February 2017 and March 2020. The study focused on mothers carrying fetuses at high risk of being born small for their gestational age, a leading cause of infant death.
The mothers were divided into three groups: one group followed a Mediterranean diet, another group participated in stress-reduction classes, and a third group received standard prenatal care. The group following the Mediterranean diet was provided with free olive oil and walnuts and received monthly meetings with nutritionists who provided recipes, shopping lists, and meal plans. The stress-reduction group participated in pregnancy yoga, meditation, and mindfulness group sessions.
When researchers visited the children approximately two years after birth, they administered the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development to measure cognitive, social, and emotional development. The results showed that children whose mothers followed the Mediterranean diet had a 5-point advantage on the cognitive test compared to those in the control group.
The study’s coauthor, Dr. Frances Crovetto, explained that previous studies had not evaluated whether lifestyle interventions like the Mediterranean diet could improve neurodevelopment in children. Dr. Miguel Martínez-González, a professor of preventive medicine and public health at the University of Navarra, emphasized the impressive scientific evidence supporting the Mediterranean diet’s benefits.
The study also found that children of mothers who participated in stress-reduction classes scored higher in social and emotional well-being compared to the control group. However, the effects of stress reduction were not statistically significant.
Experts like Dr. David Katz, founder of the nonprofit True Health Initiative, highlighted the profound impact of lifestyle choices during pregnancy on fetal and neonatal development. They hope that this study will raise awareness of the importance of using lifestyle as medicine during pregnancy to give newborns the best possible start in life.
Overall, the research supports the Mediterranean diet as a beneficial choice for pregnant women, not only for their own health but also for the long-term development of their children. Further studies are needed to better understand the effects of stress-reduction interventions during pregnancy.