Maternal B vitamin intake during pregnancy and childhood behavioral problems in Japan: The Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Abstract

Objectives: The current prebirth cohort study investigated the relationship between maternal B vitamin intake during pregnancy and behavioral problems in Japanese children aged 5 years.

Methods: Subjects were 1199 mother–child pairs. Dietary intake was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, peer problems, and low prosocial behavior were examined using the Japanese parent-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Adjustment was made for maternal age, gestation at baseline, region of residence, number of children, maternal and paternal education, household income, maternal depressive symptoms, alcohol intake, vitamin B complex supplement use, smoking during pregnancy, child’s birth weight, child’s sex, breastfeeding duration, and smoking in the household during the first year of life.

Results: Maternal folate intake during pregnancy was independently inversely associated with childhood low prosocial behavior: the adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI], P for trend) between extreme quartiles was 0.55 (0.37–0.80, 0.0002). Maternal vitamin B₆ intake during pregnancy was independently inversely related to childhood hyperactivity problems and low prosocial behavior: the adjusted ORs (95% CIs, P for trend) between extreme quartiles were 0.57 (0.34–0.94, 0.01) and 0.58 (0.40–0.85, 0.0009), respectively. Maternal vitamin B₂ intake during pregnancy was independently inversely associated with childhood emotional problems: the adjusted OR (95% CI, P for trend) between extreme quartiles was 0.58 (0.33–0.99, 0.11).

Conclusions: Maternal intake of folate, vitamin B₆, and vitamin B₂ during pregnancy may be protective against childhood low prosocial behavior, hyperactivity problems and low prosocial behavior, and emotional problems, respectively.

Keywords:

• Behavioral problems
• B vitamins
• Child
• Maternal intake
• Prebirth cohort