Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is increasingly recognized for its importance in shaping offspring brain development, impacting structure and function that further influence long-term neuropsychological, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes in children. Recent advancements in brain imaging technology provide new insights into fetal, neonatal, and pediatric brain morphometry (shape and size) and function. A recent literature review published by researchers at UAMS and ACNC synthesizes current neuroimaging studies to understand the diverse effects of maternal nutrient intake or status during pregnancy on neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. Child brain imaging features measured using imaging techniques such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and magnetoencephalography (MEG) were associated with measures of maternal nutrition, demonstrating the capability of neuroimaging in characterizing how maternal nutrition during pregnancy affects brain development. Many of these equipment are available at Arkansas Children’s and used in ongoing studies at the ACNC.
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