Researchers have said that when pregnant women consume more fermented foods like yoghurt, garri, lafun, ogiri (fermented melon seeds), fermented soybeans, and ugba (African oil bean) from the beginning of pregnancy, it could reduce the likelihood of their children experiencing neurodevelopmental delay in early childhood.
In a Japanese study, researchers said that the consumption of fermented food during pregnancy could reduce the risk of some neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
Neurodevelopmental disorders are conditions that impact the development and function of the brain. It influences an individual’s performance or functioning. Also, developmental disorders in children are associated with gastrointestinal problems and specific bacterial flora imbalances.
As far back as the 19th century, scientists started to study microorganisms in people’s intestinal tracts. They found that the microorganisms present in healthy people differed from those who were sick.
In addition, bolstering healthy microorganisms in early infancy plays a crucial role in preventing diseases that may occur later in life, and the mother’s intestine is the main source of these organisms in the newborn, besides other factors like mode of delivery, breastfeeding, and antibiotic exposure.
The researchers had analysed data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) and found that fermented food intake during pregnancy may have beneficial associations with several areas of neurodevelopment in children. It was in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Fermented foods, filled with probiotics, play a vital part in preserving the health of the intestinal tract. Some of the most everyday items, such as garri, lafun, and ogiri, as well as delectable items such as chocolate, cannot be produced without fermentation.
Probiotics are a type of beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacterium species and Lactobacillus species.
In the nationwide government-funded birth cohort study, the researchers recruited 73,522 pregnant women from 15 areas across Japan between January 2011 and March 2014 to investigate the links between environmental factors and children’s health and development.
Their intake of four common fermented foods during pregnancy was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), a list of foods and beverages with response categories to indicate the usual frequency of consumption over the study period.
The women’s intake of four fermented foods—miso soup, fermented soybeans, yoghurt, and cheese—in the average diet from the beginning of pregnancy was assessed using an FFQ during the second or third trimester. The questionnaire comprised a list of foods with standard portion sizes commonly consumed in Japan.
Their intake of fermented foods was then divided into four groups or quartiles. The first quartile included the smallest amounts eaten, the second and third quartiles had moderate amounts, and the fourth quartile had the largest amounts eaten.
Neurodevelopment for participants’ infants between 10 and 13 months old was estimated using the Japanese version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, third edition (ASQ3). The scale comprises 21 age-specific structured questionnaires across five domains: communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, and personal social skills.
The results showed that miso soup was associated with a significantly reduced risk of delay in communication skills in the second and fourth quartiles, and fermented soybeans were associated with a reduced risk in the third quartile.
Fermented soybeans were also associated with a significantly reduced risk of delay in fine motor development in the third and fourth quartiles, and cheese showed preventive effects in the third and fourth quartiles.
Eating moderate amounts of fermented soybeans during pregnancy was linked to better problem-solving skills in the second and third quartiles, as was eating higher amounts of cheese in the third and fourth quartiles.
Yoghurt was associated with a significantly reduced risk of delay in personal-social skills in the third and fourth quartiles, and that of cheese was associated with a reduced risk in the third quartile. No reductions in risk were observed for gross motor skills.
The researchers declared, “In this study, we found that maternal intake of fermented foods during pregnancy may protect against neurodevelopmental delay in early childhood, supporting our initial hypothesis. Among the five neurodevelopmental domains assessed, the effects were observed in communication, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social skills.”
In addition, they suggested a follow-up study when these children were three years old to further clarify the association.
Previously, researchers also suggested in the journal, ‘Nutrients,’ that eating fermented food rich in probiotics every day could curb nausea during pregnancy.
They found in the study that pregnant people who took probiotic capsules twice a day reduced the amount of nausea they experienced by 16 percent, and vomiting was reduced by 33 percent. Participants who experienced constipation also reported feeling some relief.
More than 50 percent—and even up to 80 percent—of people will experience morning sickness while pregnant. Although research has shown that morning sickness can be a sign of a healthy pregnancy, it doesn’t make nausea or vomiting any more fun to deal with.
An alternative to probiotic supplements is adding fermented products to the daily diet.
Also, in another study, eating fermented foods during pregnancy positively affects a baby’s sleep duration. Researchers in Japan found that babies and toddlers are more likely to sleep for 10 hours or longer if their mothers ate fermented foods during pregnancy. They looked at the impact of eating fermented foods during pregnancy and the length of sleep from one year old till three years old.
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