Associations between Prenatal and Early Childhood Fish and Processed Food Intake, Conduct Problems, and Co-Occurring Difficulties

Abstract

Little is known about early life diet as a risk factor for early-onset persistent conduct problems (EOP CP). To investigate this, we used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK-based prospective epidemiological birth cohort. 5727 mother-child pairs (49.9 % boys) monitored since pregnancy (delivery date between 1 April, 1991 and 31 December, 1992) reported intake of fish and processed foods at 32 weeks gestation and, for the child, at 3 years; EOP (n = 666) and Low conduct problem (Low CP, n = 5061) trajectories were measured from 4 to 13 years; hyperactivity and emotional difficulties were assessed in childhood (4-10 years) and early adolescence (12-13 years), in addition to potential confounding factors (family adversity, birth complications, income). Compared to Low CP, mothers of EOP children consumed less fish (p < 0.01) and more processed food (p < 0.05) prenatally, while EOP children consumed more processed food at 3 years (p < 0.05). For EOP, but not Low CP children, consuming less than two servings/week of fish (vs. two or more servings/week, p < 0.05), and one or more servings/day of processed food (vs. less than one serving/day, p < 0.01), was associated with higher emotional difficulties in early adolescence.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that prenatal and postnatal diets high in processed food, and low in fish, associate with an EOP CP trajectory and co-occurring difficulties in early adolescence. As small effect size differences were found, further studies are needed to investigate the long-term impact of early unhealthy diet.

Keywords: Avon longitudinal study of parents and children (ALSPAC); Conduct problems; Emotional difficulties; Fish; Hyperactivity; Processed food; Strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ).

Fig. 1

a-b Servings per week of a fish, and b processed food, at pregnancy and 3 years, by CP trajectory. a Servings/week of fish, for EOP (n = 616) and Low CP (n = 4732) children, prenatally (32 weeks gestation) and 3 years. **p < 0.01. Note. EOP = early-onset persistent conduct problems; Low CP = low conduct problems. b Servings/week of processed food, for EOP (n = 616) and Low CP (n = 4732) children, prenatally (32 weeks gestation) and 3 years. *p < 0.05. Note. EOP = early-onset persistent conduct problems; Low CP = low conduct problems

Fig. 2

a-b Consumption of a fish, and b processed foods, and adolescent emotional difficulties, by CP trajectory. a Emotional difficulties scores (12–13 years) and prenatal fish consumption, by CP trajectory. Note. EOP = early-onset persistent conduct problems; Low CP = low conduct problems; “<2 svg/week”: less than 2 servings per week; “≥2 svg/wk”: 2 or more servings per week. *p < 0.05. b Emotional difficulties scores (12–13 years) and prenatal + 3y processed food consumption, by CP trajectory. Note. EOP = early-onset persistent conduct problems; Low CP = low conduct problems. “<1 svg/day”: less than 1 servings per day; “≥1 svg/day”: 1 or more servings per day. *p < 0.05