Maternal dietary fibre intake during pregnancy and behavioural problems in 5-year-old children: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

OBJECTIVE

Consumption of dietary fibre has various beneficial effects on human health. In this prebirth cohort study, we examined the association between maternal dietary fibre intake during pregnancy and the risk of childhood behavioural problems in 5-year-old Japanese children.

METHOD: Participants were 1199 mother-child pairs. Maternal dietary intake was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, peer problems and low prosocial behaviour in children were assessed using the parent-reported version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Significant inverse exposure-response associations were observed between maternal total dietary fibre consumption during pregnancy and the risk of childhood hyperactivity problems and low prosocial behaviour: the adjusted ORs (95% CIs, P for trend) between extreme quartiles were 0.55 (0.33 to 0.90, 0.02) and 0.64 (0.44 to 0.93, 0.004), respectively. Maternal consumption of soluble dietary fibre during pregnancy was independently inversely associated with childhood hyperactivity problems: the adjusted OR (95% CI, P for trend) between extreme quartiles was 0.57 (0.34 to 0.94, 0.03). Maternal consumption of insoluble dietary fibre during pregnancy was independently inversely associated with both hyperactivity problems and low prosocial behaviour in children: the adjusted ORs (95% CIs, P for trend) between extreme quartiles were 0.48 (0.29 to 0.80, 0.009) and 0.63 (0.43 to 0.91, 0.008), respectively. There were no associations between maternal consumption of total, soluble or insoluble dietary fibre during pregnancy and childhood emotional, conduct or peer problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher maternal intake levels of total dietary fibre and insoluble dietary fibre during pregnancy may be associated with a decreased risk of hyperactivity problems and a decreased risk of low prosocial behaviour in 5-year-old children. Maternal soluble dietary fibre during pregnancy may be inversely associated with childhood hyperactivity problems.