Maternal consumption of soy and isoflavones during pregnancy and risk of childhood behavioural problems: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Abstract

It is uncertain whether the effects of prenatal exposure to isoflavones on childhood behaviour are beneficial or detrimental. This prebirth cohort study investigated the associations between maternal consumption of soy products and isoflavones during pregnancy and behavioural problems in Japanese children aged 5 years. Subjects were 1199 mother–child pairs. Emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, peer problems and low prosocial behaviour were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Maternal total soy product consumption during pregnancy was independently inversely associated with childhood hyperactivity and peer problems. Maternal fermented soybean consumption during pregnancy was independently inversely associated with childhood hyperactivity problems. Maternal isoflavone consumption during pregnancy was independently inversely related to childhood hyperactivity problems. Maternal consumption of total soy products, fermented soybean and isoflavones during pregnancy may be protective against hyperactivity problems in Japanese children. Also, maternal total soy product consumption during pregnancy may be preventive against childhood peer problems.

Keywords:

• Behavioural problems
• isoflavones
• maternal intake
• pregnancy
• soy products

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Kyushu Branch of the Japan Allergy Foundation, the Fukuoka Association of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the Okinawa Association of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the Miyazaki Association of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the Oita Association of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the Kumamoto Association of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the Nagasaki Association of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the Kagoshima Association of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the Saga Association of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the Fukuoka Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Okinawa Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Fukuoka City Government, and the Fukuoka City Medical Association for their valuable support.

Disclosure statement

Y.M. and K.T. were financially supported by Meiji Co. Ltd. The other authors have no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

Data not available due to [ethical/legal/commercial] restrictions.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 19590606JP, 20791654JP, 21590673JP, 22592355JP, 22119507JP, 24390158JP, 25463275JP, 25670305JP, 17K12011JP and 17H04135JP; by Health and Labour Sciences Research Grants for Research on Allergic Disease and Immunology and Health Research on Children, Youth and Families from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan; by Meiji Co. Ltd.; and by the Food Science Institute Foundation.