Maternal diet during pregnancy may modulate the risk of ADHD symptoms in children

 ADHD in the News 2019-03-28


The results of a study led by a team from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health suggest that the risk of a child developing symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be modulated by the mother's diet during pregnancy. The study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, analysed samples of umbilical cord plasma to quantify the levels of omega-6 and omega-3 that reach the foetus. The statistical analysis showed a higher omega-6:omega-3 ratio to be associated with a higher risk of ADHD symptoms at seven years of age.