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Preliminary study on the intergerational effect of postnatal malnutrition on attention
Author(s) -
Thomas Julian M,
Zichlin Miriam L,
Bryce Cyralene P,
Galler Janina R
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.618.11
Subject(s) - offspring , malnutrition , medicine , early childhood , pediatrics , psychology , developmental psychology , pregnancy , biology , genetics
Early malnutrition has been associated with attention deficits across the lifespan. Limited studies exist on the intergenerational effects of malnutrition and, to our knowledge, none specifically address attention. In the current study, we assessed Barbadian adults (17–26y) whose mothers had been followed for 40y in the Barbados Nutrition Study (N=31). Eleven had mothers who suffered from a single episode of moderate‐ severe postnatal malnutrition in the first year of life (MAL). The remaining 20 were offspring of healthy mothers (CON) matched to the MAL group by age, sex, and handedness in childhood. The Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale‐S:SV was used to identify inattention, hyperactivity, ADHD symptoms and DSM‐IV clinical index scores. Parental malnutrition effects were analyzed across factors, adjusting for childhood standard of living of the parent (SAS PROC MIXED). Mean scores were higher in the MAL offspring when compared with CON offspring, connoting more attention deficits. Significant main effects of nutrition were present for DSM‐IV clinical index scores (F=6.10, p<0.05). We concluded that postnatal malnutrition is associated with attention deficits in offspring of individuals exposed to postnatal malnutrition, though these offspring themselves were never malnourished. Studies in a larger sample are needed to identify biological and environmental mechanisms underlying these differences. Grant Funding Source : NIH HD060986