Experts discuss how maternal diet during pregnancy impacts infant development

In a recent interview with Contemporary OB/GYN, Elinor L. Sullivan, PhD, and Elizabeth K. Wood, PhD, professor and assistant professor, respectively, at Oregon Health & Science University, discussed how infant neurodevelopment is influenced by maternal diet during the third trimester of pregnancy.

The most influencing factor was the glycemic nature of a maternal diet, impacted by the consumption of products with simple sugars such as white bread, chips, and soft drinks. According to Wood and Sullivan, switching to more complex carbohydrates may help alleviate these concerns, providing a targeted therapy.

Contemporary OB/GYN:

Please provide a brief overview of your study evaluating the link between maternal diet and infant behavioral health.

Elinor L. Sullivan, PhD:

And so, we kind of set out this study to try to examine the influence of early environmental factors. We’re really focused on things such as maternal nutrition, metabolic health, mental health, and stress, to see how those factors influence child brain development and behavioral development. And our overall goal is to try to determine which factors are harmful and which factors are protective and try to see which of them have the greatest impact on the developing brain and behavior, so that we can support expecting mothers and help give them the best their babies the best start. And I'll turn to you, Elizabeth for the more granular details of the study.

Elizabeth K. Wood, PhD:

Yeah, so in an effort to try to understand which maternal health factors during pregnancy are important to predicting risk for infant mental health concerns, we followed a cohort of 310 expecting mothers during the second and third trimesters of their pregnancy. So, we collected detailed information about those pregnancies, including dietary information, information about their body composition, and we also collected blood samples from them so we could look at their insulin sensitivity. Then when the infants were born, we assessed those infants for something called negative affect, which is essentially this temperament trait that reflects risk for future mental health concerns like ADHD, anxiety, and depression.

Contemporary OB/GYN:

What were the results of the study, and what is the significance of these findings?

Wood:

Yeah, so, we found that the quality of the maternal diet— and when I say quality, I mean the glycemic nature of the maternal diet, so how sugary the maternal diet is— we found that that dietary piece is associated with risk for future infant mental health concerns. So, we show that the type of carbohydrate in the maternal diet matters, so small dietary modifications like switching simple sugars, like white bread, chips, or soft drinks, for foods that have more complex carbohydrates like whole grains, beans or fiber rich vegetables, may help optimize pregnancy for supporting future infant mental health. And so, we also found that the third trimester was a particularly important window for this. So, while consuming a healthy diet over the course of pregnancy is of course, important for the health of the mother and the health of the baby, we found that the dietary content, or the diet consumed during the third trimester was particularly important and impactful on infant mental health risk.

Sullivan:

We found that this is very compelling, because we've now targeted a specific part of the diet. We recognize it's really difficult to change one's entire diet, but perhaps by targeting a specific area, such as the glycemic index, or carbohydrate source that you're consuming, individuals may be able to make that small dietary change and thus optimize the development of their child. And again, also, as Elizabeth said, targeting the third trimester as well.

This video is part 1 of a 3-part series. Click here for part 2 and here for part 3.

References

1. Study confirms link between maternal diet, risk to infant behavioral health. Oregon Health & Science University. March 26, 2025. Accessed March 28, 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1078391
2. Wood EK, Nomura O, Ablow JC, et al. Higher prenatal dietary glycemic index in the third trimester of pregnancy is associated with infant negative affect at 6 months. Scientific Reports. 2025;15. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-91886-0