Study shows low-fibre diet could slow baby's brain growth; Here's what experts research says

Digital Desk: A recent study from Japan found that a pregnant woman who consumes little fibre could negatively impact the brain development of her unborn child.

Although low-fibre diets during pregnancy have been linked to impaired brain and nerve function in offspring in studies involving animals, this study is the first to discover similar consequences in humans, according to experts.

"Our results provided reinforcing evidence that undernutrition during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay in children," said Kunio Miyake, a researcher at the University of Yamanashi and the study's first author, in a statement released with the study's publication in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.

After examining more than 76,000 mother-infant couples from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, Miyake and colleagues discovered. The objective of this ongoing research is to draw attention to how the environment influences children's health.

A lack of maternal fibre was also found to affect the children's ability to communicate, solve problems, and interact with others, as well as to move and coordinate later than normal.

The mothers were questioned about their diets during the second and third trimesters of their pregnancies as part of a food frequency questionnaire that the researchers used to compile the participants' dietary data.

Another questionnaire that was issued to parents when their children became three years old was used to gauge the developmental growth of the children. The scientists connected maternal fibre intake with a child's brain development based on the parents' replies.

In Japan, 18 grammes of dietary fibre are advised daily, compared to 28 grammes in the US and Canada.

According to Miyake's findings, dietary counselling for expectant moms is essential to lowering the likelihood that their offspring would develop long-term health issues.

Furthermore, Miyake added, "dietary fibre intake from supplements could not be investigated."

The study's weaknesses were also mentioned by the researchers. "Although this study considered the impact of folic acid intake during pregnancy, the possibility of other nutrients having an impact cannot be completely ruled out," Miyake said.