(P27-023-25) Prenatal Polyphenol Intake During Late Pregnancy Is Positively Associated With Academic and IQ Scores in School-Age Children

Objectives: Prenatal fruit and vegetable consumption, a major source of polyphenols, is associated with improvements in offspring cognitive development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between prenatal polyphenol intake and cognitive development in school-age children.

Methods: Mother and child pairs (n = 124) enrolled in a longitudinal study (Glowing, NCT01131117) at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center during pregnancy and completed follow-up visits at 5 years and 8 years. Total prenatal polyphenol intake was estimated from 3-day food records using a database developed from Phenol Explorer. Offspring cognitive development was evaluated using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-II to evaluate IQ at 8 years (n = 62); academic achievement was evaluated using the Wide-Range Achievement Test-4 to assess reading, spelling, and arithmetic skills at 5 and 8 years (n = 85). Associations between prenatal polyphenol intake during each trimester and offspring cognitive development were evaluated using linear mixed models for measures available at both follow-up visits or generalized linear models and were adjusted for maternal IQ, gestational age, and prenatal intake of carotenoids, docosahexaenoic acid, choline, and vitamin A.

Results: Average prenatal polyphenol intake was 815 mg/d. During first trimester, maternal polyphenol intake was negatively associated with verbal IQ (p = 0.057), perceptual reasoning IQ (p = 0.020), and full scale IQ (p = 0.011). Polyphenol intake during second trimester was not associated with offspring cognitive outcomes. During third trimester, maternal polyphenol intake was positively associated with offspring scores for reading (p = 0.035), spelling (p = 0.052), verbal IQ (p = 0.067), and the similarities subtest (a verbal reasoning component of verbal IQ, p = 0.029).

Conclusions: Associations between prenatal polyphenol intake and cognitive development are time-dependent, possibly due to fetal development of xenobiotic metabolism systems and critical windows of neurodevelopment. Evaluating how polyphenols impact cognitive development requires consideration for exposure timing, including polyphenol intake in children.

Funding Sources: USDA ARS #6026-10700-001-000D