一项新研究发现，孕期的高脂肪、高糖饮食可能与儿童多动症相关。
在英国，儿童早发的行为问题(如说谎、好斗)和注意力不集中或多动障碍(ADHD)是儿童心理健康的主要原因。这两种障碍往往会一前一后发生(超过40%的有行为障碍儿童也同时伴有注意缺陷多动障碍)，这与产前母亲痛苦或营养不良等经历相关。
这个新研究的参与者来自“90年代的孩子们”，研究显示，与81名有较少行为问题的儿童相比，83名儿童有早发性的行为问题。研究人员评估母亲的营养如何影响IGF2的表观遗传变化(或DNA甲基化)，该基因（IGF2）参与涉及注意力不集中的胎儿发育和大脑发育区域 -小脑和海马。值得注意的是，在荷兰二战期间，IGF2的DNA甲基化被发现在孕妇体内，这些母亲在此期间忍受着饥饿之灾。
研究人员发现，孕期营养不良（包括高脂肪和高糖加工的食品和糖果）与早发行为问题儿童较高的IGF2甲基化相关。较高的IGF2甲基化与7到13岁的儿童注意力不集中症状也相关，但只是显示早期发病的儿童行为问题。
Edward Barker博士说：“我们发现，产前营养不良与高IGF2甲基化强调了怀孕期间健康饮食的重要性。”
这些结果表明，促进一个健康的孕期饮食可能会降低儿童注意力不集中和行为问题等症状。这是令人欣慰的，因为营养和表观遗传危险因素等是可以改变的。”
Barker补充说：“我们现在需要检测更多的特定类型的营养。例如，脂肪的类型，来自鱼、核桃和鸡中的ω3脂肪酸，它对神经发育非常重要。我们已经知道，儿童营养补充剂可能会导致较少的多动症和行为问题，这将为未来的研究提供重要的方向。”
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Unhealthy diet during pregnancy could be linked to ADHD
New research led by scientists from King's College London and the University of Bristol has found that a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy may be linked to symptoms of ADHD in children who show conduct problems early in life. Published today in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, this study is the first to indicate that epigenetic changes evident at birth may explain the link between unhealthy diet, conduct problems and ADHD. Early onset conduct problems (e.g. lying, fighting) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are the leading causes of child mental health referral in the UK.
These two disorders tend to occur in tandem (more than 40 per cent of children with a diagnosis of conduct disorder also have a diagnosis of ADHD) and can also be traced back to very similar prenatal experiences such as maternal distress or poor nutrition. In this new study of participants from the Bristol-based 'Children of the 90s' cohort, 83 children with early-onset conduct problems were compared with 81 children who had low levels of conduct problems. The researchers assessed how the mothers' nutrition affected epigenetic changes (or DNA methylation) of IGF2, a gene involved in fetal development and the brain development of areas implicated in ADHD - the cerebellum and hippocampus. Notably, DNA methylation of IGF2 had previously been found in children of mothers who were exposed to famine in the Netherlands during World War II.
The researchers from King's and Bristol found that poor prenatal nutrition, comprising high fat and sugar diets of processed food and confectionary, was associated with higher IGF2 methylation in children with early onset conduct problems and those with low conduct problems. Higher IGF2 methylation was also associated with higher ADHD symptoms between the ages of 7 and 13, but only for children who showed an early onset of conduct problems. Dr Edward Barker from King's College London said: 'Our finding that poor prenatal nutrition was associated with higher IGF2 methylation highlights the critical importance of a healthy diet during pregnancy. 'These results suggest that promoting a healthy prenatal diet may ultimately lower ADHD symptoms and conduct problems in children.
This is encouraging given that nutritional and epigenetic risk factors can be altered.' Dr Barker added: 'We now need to examine more specific types of nutrition. For example, the types of fats such as omega 3 fatty acids, from fish, walnuts and chicken are extremely important for neural development. 'We already know that nutritional supplements for children can lead to lower ADHD and conduct problems, so it will be important for future research to examine the role of epigenetic changes in this process.'