A study led by a team of the Institute of Global Health of Barcelona (ISGlobal), has concluded that the risk of developing symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during childhood it could depend on the mother's diet during pregnancy.
The research 'Prenatal Ratio Omega 6-Omega 3 and symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder', published in The Journal of Pediatrics, analyzed plasma samples from umbilical cords to quantify the levels of Omega 6 and Omega 3 that reach the fetus. The analysis showed that The higher the proportion of Omega 6 compared to that of Omega 3, the greater the risk of showing ADHD symptoms at seven years of age.
The role of Omega 3 and Omega 6
We already knew that consuming Omega 3 during pregnancy is good for the health of our baby: it helps the development of the brain, improves its cognitive and neurological function and helps in the development of the nervous system.
In addition, there are studies that show that eating foods rich in this fatty acid reduces the risk of our child suffering from asthma or suffering from allergies.
In Babies and more During pregnancy, take foods rich in omega 3And is that Omega 6 and Omega 3 they are long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that they have a crucial role in the function and architecture of the central nervous system, especially at the end of pregnancy. The two are obtained mainly through diet and compete to be incorporated into cell membranes.
But they have opposite physiological functions: Omega 6 promotes pro-inflammatory states and omega-3 anti-inflammatory states. For that reason, it is important that they be acquired in a balanced way. Previous research had already observed that boys and girls with ADHD symptoms show a higher Omega 6-Omega 3 ratio.
How does the study was realized
It was attended by 600 children from four Spanish regions (Asturias, Basque Country, Catalonia and the Valencian Community), who collaborate in the INMA Project (Children and Environment) of the Biomedical Research Center in the Epidemiology and Public Health Network .
In addition to plasma samples from the umbilical cord, data from different questionnaires answered by the mothers were included. And the evaluation of ADHD symptoms was carried out through two different standard questionnaires that were completed by the teachers of the children (when they were four years old) and by their fathers and mothers (at seven years).
In Babies and more How to know if my child has ADHD: symptoms, tests, how to proceed, how to avoid a false diagnosisThe research results show that For each one-point increase in the Omega 6: Omega 3 ratio found in umbilical cord samples, the number of ADHD symptoms at seven years of age increased by 13%.
The authors suggest that there may be a measurement error at four years, since the symptoms detected at an early age can be caused by a delay in neurodevelopment within normality.
"Our results are in line with those of previous studies that established a relationship between the ratio of omega-6: omega-3 presented by mothers and various consequences in neurodevelopment", says Mónica López-Vicente, researcher at ISGlobal and participant in the research.
This study gives us one more evidence about the importance of the maternal diet during pregnancy.
This is also stated by Jordi Júlvez, ISGlobal researcher and author of the study, who adds:
"The supply of nutrients during the early stages of life is key, since it programs the structure and function of the organs, which has an impact on health throughout life. Due to the long period required for develop, the brain is an organ particularly vulnerable to defective programming, so this type of alterations could lead to neurodevelopmental disorders ”.
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