The importance of prenatal and postnatal nutrition on ADHD and cognitive functions in children
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by a pattern of behaviour involving hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention.
About the project
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Project period: 04.01.2016 - 31.12.2022 (Active)
- Coordinating Institution: Norwegian Institute of Public Health
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Project Manager:
- Heidi Aase, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
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Project Participants:
- Felice N. Jacka, Deakin University - Branch: Melbourne Campus
- Pål Zeiner, Oslo University Hospital
- Lene Frost Andersen, Oslo University Hospital
- Merete Eggesbø, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Ragnhild Eek Brandlistuen, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Helle Margrete Meltzer, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Anne Lise Brantsæter, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Guido Philipp Emmanuel Biele, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Ida Henriette Caspersen, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Tiril Cecilie Borge, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Summary
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by a pattern of behaviour involving hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. ADHD is common both globally and in Norway and is associated with an increased risk of poor academic performance, criminal behaviour and unemployment, as well as obesity, in both childhood and adulthood. Knowledge about the course of the disorder is limited, and since successful long-term treatment of ADHD remains a challenge, identifying preventable risk factors, such as dietary factors, could be of considerable public health benefit. Dietary factors have primarily been studied in school-aged children with ADHD, while the potential influence of maternal diet during pregnancy and children's diet during the first years of life has received very little attention.
The main objective of this project is to investigate the role of diet and iron in the development of ADHD and cognitive functioning in children. The project will focus on maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy and children's diet during the first years of life, as well as maternal iron status before and during pregnancy.
The study population will consist of:
- Participants in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), with parent-reported symptoms of ADHD and related cognitive and emotional outcomes from 18 months to 8 years of age.
- A subgroup of MoBa participants with measured biomarkers, including iron status.
- Participants in the ADHD Study (a MoBa sub-study), a clinical study involving approximately 1,200 children aged 3.5 years.
- MoBa participants whose children have been diagnosed with ADHD, identified through linkage with the Norwegian Patient Registry.
The opportunity to combine questionnaire data, registry data, clinical data and biological markers represents a novel and innovative approach to studying associations between prenatal and postnatal diet and neurodevelopment in children.
The findings from this project could provide valuable new knowledge about risk factors for ADHD. A better understanding of risk factors and causal relationships may also provide a basis for developing more effective long-term prevention strategies, such as evidence-based dietary recommendations for pregnant women and young children, as well as new approaches to ADHD treatment.