Antioxidant vitamin status during pregnancy in relation to cognitive development in the first two years of life

Objective: To investigate the correlation of the antioxidant vitamins status (vitamins A, E and C) during pregnancy and the intellectual development of early childhood. Method: A total of 150 paired maternal-neonatal subjects were recruited into the present study. The serum concentrations of antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, E and Q in maternal blood and cord blood after delivery were determined by high performance liquid chromatography and the intellectual development was evaluated by Gesell Development Schedules (GDS) at two-years-old. Result. Children with higher cord serum vitamin E level showed higher scores of motor, adaptive domain and average compared to children with lower cord serum vitamin E level (p<0.01 or 0.05), respectively. Cord serum vitamin A level had significant positive correlation with effect on motor DQs (beta = 4.227, p<0.05), and vitamin E level in cord blood showed a positive relation with motor DQ and average DQ (beta= 0.329 and 0.1875, respectively, p<0.05) in multiple linear regression model. The language and social DQs were influenced by placental vitamin E transport rate (beta = 3.1968 and 3.0194, respectively, p<0.05). The placental transport rate of vitamin E also was a protective factor for the prevalence of motor behavior developmental delay [OR: 0.118, 95% confident interval (95% CI), 0.018-0.765, p = 0.0251], personal and social behavior developmental delay (OR: 0.052, 95% Cl: 0.004-0.610. p = 0.0185) and average developmental delay (OR: 0.041, 95% Cl: 0.003-0.642, p = 0.0229) in logistic multiple regression model. Conclusion: Data suggested that vitamin A, E status and vitamin E transfer rate at delivery had beneficial influence on children's cognitive and behavior development quotients. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.