AI Article Synopsis
- Early-life nutrition, particularly the intake of mother's milk, plays a significant role in the brain development of preterm-born children, specifically in areas related to processing speed.
- A study involving 40 five-year-old children who were born preterm showed that while general macronutrient intake had no impact, higher consumption of mother's milk was linked to increased volumes in critical brain regions.
- The findings suggest that mother's milk may support better processing speed by enhancing brain structure in these vulnerable children, highlighting the need for further research on nutritional strategies to improve outcomes for preterm infants.
Article Abstract
Background: Processing speed is a foundational skill supporting intelligence and executive function, areas often delayed in preterm-born children. The impact of early-life nutrition on gray matter facilitating processing speed for this vulnerable population is unknown.
Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-IV Processing Speed Index were acquired in forty 5-year-old children born preterm with very low birth weight. Macronutrient (grams per kilogram per day) and mother's milk (percentage of feeds) intakes were prospectively collected in the first postnatal month and associations between early-life nutrition and the primary outcome of brain regions supporting processing speed were investigated.
Results: Children had a mean (SD) gestational age of 27.8 (1.8) weeks and 45% were male. Macronutrient intakes were unrelated, but mother's milk was positively related, to greater volumes in brain regions, including total cortical gray matter, cingulate gyri, and occipital gyri.
Conclusion: First postnatal month macronutrient intakes showed no association, but mother's milk was positively associated, with volumetric measures of total and regional cortical gray matter related to processing speed in preterm-born children. This exploratory analysis suggests early-life mother's milk supports processing speed by impacting structural underpinnings. Further research is needed on this potential strategy to improve preterm outcomes.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jpen.2669 | DOI Listing |
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