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Prenatal unhealthy diet, insulin‐like growth factor 2 gene ( IGF 2 ) methylation, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in youth with early‐onset conduct problems
Author(s) -
Rijlaarsdam Jolien,
Cecil Charlotte A.M.,
Walton Esther,
Mesirow Maurissa S.C.,
Relton Caroline L.,
Gaunt Tom R.,
McArdle Wendy,
Barker Edward D.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/jcpp.12589
Subject(s) - offspring , dna methylation , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , psychology , pregnancy , methylation , endocrinology , insulin like growth factor , medicine , clinical psychology , growth factor , gene , genetics , biology , gene expression , receptor
Background Conduct problems ( CP ) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) are often comorbid and have each been linked to ‘unhealthy diet’. Early‐life diet also associates with DNA methylation of the insulin‐like growth factor 2 gene ( IGF 2 ), involved in fetal and neural development. We investigated the degree to which prenatal high‐fat and ‐sugar diet might relate to ADHD symptoms via IGF 2 DNA methylation for early‐onset persistent ( EOP ) versus low CP youth. Methods Participants were 164 youth with EOP ( n = 83) versus low ( n = 81) CP drawn from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. We assessed if the interrelationships between high‐fat and ‐sugar diet (prenatal, postnatal), IGF 2 methylation (birth and age 7, collected from blood), and ADHD symptoms (age 7–13) differed for EOP versus low CP youth. Results Prenatal ‘unhealthy diet’ was positively associated with IGF 2 methylation at birth for both the EOP and low CP youth. For EOP only: (a) higher IGF 2 methylation predicted ADHD symptoms; and (b) prenatal ‘unhealthy diet’ was associated with higher ADHD symptoms indirectly via higher IGF 2 methylation. Conclusions Preventing ‘unhealthy diet’ in pregnancy might reduce the risk of ADHD symptoms in EOP youth via lower offspring IGF 2 methylation.