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. 2022 Nov 8;14(22):4713.
doi: 10.3390/nu14224713.

Maternal Consumption of Dairy Products during Pregnancy Is Associated with Decreased Risk of Emotional Problems in 5-Year-Olds: The Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Mai Quynh Nguyen  1 , Yoshihiro Miyake  2   3   4   5 , Keiko Tanaka  2   3   4   5 , Shizuka Hasuo  1 , Keiji Takahashi  6 , Yoshitaka Nakamura  1 , Hitomi Okubo  2   7   8 , Satoshi Sasaki  9 , Masashi Arakawa  10   11
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Maternal Consumption of Dairy Products during Pregnancy Is Associated with Decreased Risk of Emotional Problems in 5-Year-Olds: The Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Mai Quynh Nguyen et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Milk is a good source of fats, minerals, and vitamins. The present prebirth cohort study examined the association between maternal dairy product intake during pregnancy and the risk of childhood behavioral problems in 5-year-old Japanese children. Study subjects were 1199 mother-child pairs. Dietary intake was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, peer problems, and low prosocial behavior were assessed using the parent-reported version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Adjustments were made for a priori selected non-dietary confounders and potentially related dietary factors. A significant inverse exposure-response association was observed between maternal total dairy intake during pregnancy and the risk of childhood emotional problems (adjusted odds ratio [OR] between extreme quartiles, 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36-1.03, p for trend, 0.04). The greater maternal consumption of cow's milk, but not yogurt or cheese, during pregnancy was independently related to a reduced risk of emotional problems in children (adjusted OR between extreme quartiles, 0.41; 95% CI: 0.23-0.70, p for trend, 0.003). Higher maternal consumption levels of total dairy products, especially cow's milk, during pregnancy may be associated with a decreased risk of emotional problems in 5-year-old children.

Keywords: Japanese children; behavioral problems; cow’s milk; dairy; maternal intake; pregnancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

M.Q.N., S.H., K.T. (Keiji Takahashi), and Y.N. are employed by Meiji Co., Ltd. K.T. (Keiko Tanaka) and Y.M. were financially supported by Meiji Co., Ltd. H.O., S.S., and M.A. have no conflict of interest.

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