Berger Paige K, Bansal Ravi, Sawardekar Siddhant, Monk Catherine, Peterson Bradley S
Department of Pediatrics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Nutrients. 2025 Jan 16;17(2):303. doi: 10.3390/nu17020303.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: While studies in rat pups suggest that early zinc exposure is critical for optimal brain structure and function, associations of prenatal zinc intake with measures of brain development in infants are unknown. This study aimed to assess the associations of maternal zinc intake during pregnancy with MRI measures of brain tissue microstructure and neurodevelopmental outcomes, as well as to determine whether MRI measures of the brain mediated the relationship between maternal zinc intake and neurodevelopmental indices.
Forty-one adolescent mothers were recruited for a longitudinal study during pregnancy. Maternal zinc intake was assessed during the third trimester of pregnancy using a 24 h dietary recall. Infant MRI scans were acquired at 3 weeks postpartum using a 3.0 Tesla scanner to measure fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). Cognitive, language, and motor skills were assessed at 4, 14, and 24 months postpartum using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.
Greater prenatal zinc intake was associated with reduced FA in cortical gray matter, particularly in the frontal lobe [medial superior frontal gyrus; β (95% CI) = -1.0 (-1.5, -0.5)], in developing white matter, and in subcortical gray matter nuclei. Greater prenatal zinc intake was associated with reduced MD in cortical gray matter and developing white matter [superior longitudinal fasciculus; -4.4 (-7.1, -1.7)]. Greater maternal zinc intake also was associated with higher cognitive development scores at 14 [0.1 (0.0, 0.1)] and 24 [0.1 (0.0, 0.2)] months of age; MRI indices of FA and MD did not mediate this relationship.
Maternal prenatal zinc intake was associated with more favorable measures of brain tissue microstructural maturation and cognitive development during infancy.
背景/目的：虽然对幼鼠的研究表明，早期锌暴露对最佳脑结构和功能至关重要，但产前锌摄入量与婴儿脑发育指标之间的关联尚不清楚。本研究旨在评估孕期母亲锌摄入量与脑组织微观结构的磁共振成像（MRI）测量值及神经发育结局之间的关联，并确定脑部的MRI测量值是否介导了母亲锌摄入量与神经发育指标之间的关系。
招募了41名青春期母亲参与一项孕期纵向研究。在妊娠晚期使用24小时饮食回顾法评估母亲的锌摄入量。产后3周使用3.0特斯拉扫描仪对婴儿进行MRI扫描，以测量分数各向异性（FA）和平均扩散率（MD）。在产后4、14和24个月使用贝利婴儿发育量表评估认知、语言和运动技能。
产前锌摄入量较高与皮质灰质（特别是额叶[额上内侧回]；β（95%可信区间）=-1.0（-1.5，-0.5））、发育中的白质和皮质下灰质核中的FA降低有关。产前锌摄入量较高与皮质灰质和发育中的白质（上纵束；-4.4（-7.1，-1.7））中的MD降低有关。母亲锌摄入量较高还与14个月[0.1（0.0，0.1）]和24个月[0.1（0.0，0.2）]龄时较高的认知发育得分有关；FA和MD的MRI指标并未介导这种关系。
母亲产前锌摄入量与婴儿期更有利的脑组织微观结构成熟度测量值和认知发育有关。
