Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Davis, California » Western Human Nutrition Research Center » Obesity and Metabolism Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #316839
Title: The impact of micronutrient supplementation in alcohol-exposed pregnancies on information processing skills in Ukrainian infants

Author
item KABLE, JULIE - Emory University, School Of Medicine
item COLE, C. - Emory University, School Of Medicine
item KEEN, CARL - University Of California
item URIU-ADAMS, JAN - University Of California
item Pedersen, Theresa
item JONES, K. - University Of California
item YEVTUSHOK, L - Rivne Regional Medical Diagnostic Center
item KULIKOVSKY, Y - Rivne Regional Medical Diagnostic Center
item WERTELECKI, WLADIMIR - University Of South Alabama
item CHAMBERS, CD - University Of California

Submitted to: Alcohol
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/13/2015
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The role that micronutrients play in ameliorating the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure was explored in a clinical trial conducted in the Ukraine. Women with different prenatal alcohol use were recruited during pregnancy and assigned to a group (None, Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement, and Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement plus Choline Supplement) and an infant habituation/dishabituation learning paradigm was instituted. Changes in cardiac orienting responses, the reflexive change in heart beat to an external stimulus, were obtained from 6-12 month-olds to assess neurodevelopmental outcome. Ten trials were used for the habituation and 5 for the dishabituation condition. Heart rate was collected for 30 sec before and 12 sec after stimulus onset. Difference values ('HR) were computed for the first 3 trials of each condition and aggregated for analysis. Gestational blood samples were collected to assess maternal nutritional status and changes as a function of the intervention. Choline supplementation resulted in a greater 'HR for all infants on the visual habituation trials (p < .001) and but only for the infants with no prenatal alcohol exposure on the dishabituation trials (p < .02). The latency of the response was reduced in both conditions (Habituation: p < .003; Dishabituation: p < .027) for all infants. Change in gestational choline level was positively related (r = .19) to 'HR during habituation trials and blood levels of dimethylglycine (DMG) predicted 'HR during habituation trials (r = .23) and speed of responses (r = -.20). A trend was found between DMG and 'HR on the dishabituation trials (r = .19) and speed of the response (r = -.18). Neither multivitamin/mineral or choline interventions significantly affected cardiac orienting responses to the auditory stimuli. Conclusion: Choline supplementation during pregnancy may provide a beneficial impact to neurodevelopmental functioning in alcohol-exposed pregnancies as well as non- or low alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Changes in nutrient status of the mother suggested that the mechanisms may be through the breakdown of choline to betaine and then to dimethylglycine.

Technical Abstract: Objectives: The role that micronutrients play in ameliorating the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure was explored in a clinical trial conducted in the Ukraine. Cardiac orienting responses during a habituation/dishabituation learning paradigm were obtained from 6-12 month-olds to assess neurodevelopmental outcome. Materials and methods: Women who differed in prenatal alcohol use were recruited during pregnancy and assigned to a group (None, Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement, and Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement plus Choline Supplement) and an infant habituation/dishabituation paradigm was used to assess neurodevelopmental outcomes. Ten trials were used for the habituation and 5 for the dishabituation condition. Heart rate was collected for 30 sec prior to stimulus onset and then 12 sec post-stimulus onset. Difference values ('HR) were computed for the first 3 trials of each condition and aggregated for analysis. Gestational blood samples were collected to assess maternal nutritional status and changes as a function of the intervention. Results: Choline supplementation resulted in a greater 'HR on the visual habituation (Wald Chi-Square (1,149) = 10.9, p < .001, eta-squared = .043) trials for all infants and for the infants with no prenatal alcohol exposure on the dishabituation (Wald Chi-Square (1,138) = 5.4, p < .02, eta-squared = .065) trials. The latency of the response was reduced in both conditions (Habituation: Wald Chi-Square (1, 150) = 9.0, p < .003, eta-squared = .056; Dishabituation: Wald Chi-Square (1, 137) =4.9, p < .027, eta-squared = .032) for all infants. Change in gestational choline level was positively related (r = .19) to 'HR during habituation trials and DMG levels predicted 'HR during habituation trials (r = .23) and speed of responses (r = -.20). A trend was found between DMG and 'HR on the dishabituation trials (r = .19) and speed of the response (r = -.18). MVM or choline intervention did not significantly affect cardiac orienting responses to the auditory stimuli. Conclusion: Choline supplementation during pregnancy may provide a beneficial impact to neurodevelopmental functioning in alcohol-exposed pregnancies as well as non- or low alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Changes in nutrient status of the mother suggested that the mechanisms may be through the breakdown of choline to betaine and then to DMG.