Structured interventions based on Mediterranean diet or mindfulness-based stress reduction are beneficial<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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FRIDAY, Aug. 25, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Maternal structured lifestyle interventions during pregnancy based on a Mediterranean diet or mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) improve child neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 2 years, according to a study published online on Aug. 22 in JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Francesca Crovetto, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Barcelona in Spain, and colleagues examined whether structured interventions based on a Mediterranean diet or MBSR during pregnancy improve child neurodevelopment at age 2 years in a prespecified analysis of a parallel-group randomized clinical trial. A total of 1,221 singleton pregnancies with a high risk for developing newborns who were small for gestational age were randomly assigned to a Mediterranean diet intervention, including educational sessions and free provision of extra virgin olive oil and walnuts; an MBSR program adapted for pregnancy; or usual care per institutional protocols.<\/p>\n Neurodevelopment was assessed in 626 children at a mean age of 24.8 months. The researchers found that children in the Mediterranean diet group had higher scores in the cognitive and social-emotional domains than children from the usual care group (\u00ce\u00b2, 5.02 and 5.15, respectively), while children from the stress reduction group had higher scores in the social-emotional domain (\u00ce\u00b2, 4.75).<\/p>\n “These results need replication in further randomized clinical trials as well as assessment in additional patient populations,” the authors write.<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical, nutrition, and other industries.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n