A recent paper from the ACNC investigates how maternal weight and diet before and during pregnancy may have an impact on fat development and the metabolic health of her offspring. Postdoctoral Fellow Henry Paz and Assistant Professor Umesh Wankhade used data collected from multiple scientific research models: a cell culture model that examined fat cells […]
ACNC News
ACNC Announces New Director
Dr. Colin Kay, Ph.D. joined the ACNC in 2023 as Professor of Developmental Nutrition in the Department of Pediatrics and served as Director of Precision Health Research, Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) and Scientific Director of the Metabolomics and Analytical Chemistry Research Core. Prior to joining the ACNC, Kay served as Distinguished Professor in the Plants […]
Exploring the Path of Dietary Bioactives
One study conducted by Dr. Colin Kay and colleagues examined how a class of bioactives found in blueberries are absorbed, metabolized, and excreted by our bodies after they are eaten. Investigators were particularly interested if processing the whole blueberries (i.e. food processing) would change how the bioactives were metabolized. Fresh blueberries were therefore compared to […]
Kids Can Get Moving to Improve Balance
Balance is essential for children to develop motor skills, prevent falls, and effectively perform various daily activities. However, what influences balance in children is not well understood. To explore this, researchers at the ACNC measured balance, body composition, physical fitness, and daily physical activity in 219 school-aged children (ages 7-11). Balance was evaluated using a […]
Bioactives in Breast Milk Depend on More than Just Mom’s Diet
Breast milk provides babies with a mix of vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins and fats in an easily digestible form – and it can also be a source of bioactive components that benefit a growing infant’s health and development. What mom eats can modify the type of carbohydrates and bioactive components (carotenoids and polyphenols) found in her […]
Neuroimaging Insights on Maternal Nutrition during Pregnancy and Offspring Brain Development
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 […]
Microbes Colonizing Offspring’s Gut May Depend on Mom’s Diet
Research increasingly focuses on how the gut microbiome—the collection of microbes in our digestive system—develop, change and contribute to health. Investigators at the ACNC, led by Dr. Umesh Wankhade, used a mouse model to explore how a maternal diet, consumed before and during pregnancy, affects the gut microbiome of the following generation. Specifically, their team examined […]
The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center turned 30!
The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center celebrated its 30th anniversary with a symposium held on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. The event brought together esteemed speakers to share Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center’s history, ongoing research, and future directions in parental and child nutrition. The symposium commenced with remarks from key stakeholders in nutrition and agriculture, including Senator […]
Seeking an Easier Way to Assess Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Kids
Cardiorespiratory fitness is a key indicator of health. However, measuring peak oxygen consumption needed to determine cardiorespiratory fitness can be difficult to measure in children, who may not be able to, or willing to, push themselves and give a maximum effort during cardiopulmonary exercise testing. That’s why investigators at the ACNC explored if another measure, […]
Child Temperament Shaped by Maternal Psychiatric Symptoms, Family Environment and Infant Feeding
An infant or child’s temperament influences their behavior and the way they interact with others. Newer research suggests that maternal affection and environmental factors, including feeding method, can influence infant temperament. Researchers at the ACNC investigated how maternal factors (affection and psychiatric symptoms) and child factors (environment and early nutrition) affected child’s temperament for the […]