Exploring the relationship between maternal carbohydrate quality and quantity during pregnancy and early childhood neurodevelopment: a prospective cohort study within the BiSC cohort

Purpose Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is key for offspring neurodevelopment. Given the role of glucose in brain function, assessing carbohydrate quantity and quality, including glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL) and carbohydrate quality index (CQI), may provide insights into early brain development. This study examined the associations between maternal dietary carbohydrate intake and neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood. Methods The prospective cohort study included 1080 mother–child pairs from the Barcelona Life Study Cohort. Maternal dietary carbohydrate intake, GI, GL and CQI were assessed during mid-pregnancy using a food frequency questionnaire. Child neurodevelopment was evaluated at 8 and 28 months using the Developmental Profile 3 (DP-3) and at 18 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III). Associations were analyzed using multivariable linear regression models adjusted for relevant maternal and child covariates. Results Increased maternal carbohydrate intake, GI, and GL were inversely associated with language development (β (95% CI): − 2.67 (− 5.13, − 0.21), − 2.73 (− 5.21, − 0.26), − 3.51 (− 5.96, − 1.07) respectively) and receptive language (β (95% CI): − 0.58 (− 1.07, − 0.08), − 0.54 (− 1.04, − 0.04), − 0.70 (− 1.20, − 0.21) respectively) at 18 months, as measured by the BSID-III, although these associations were attenuated after adjustment for maternal and child covariates. Increased GI and lower CQI were associated with lower gross motor scores (β (95% CI): − 0.49 (− 0.84, − 0.15), 0.39 (0.06, 0.71) respectively) at 18 months (BSID-III), as well as reduced motor development (β (95% CI): − 3.2 (− 5.50, − 0.76), 2.22 (− 0.1, 4.54) respectively) at 8 and 28 months (DP-3). Conclusions Maternal carbohydrate quality during pregnancy may influence early neurodevelopment, particularly motor outcomes. Emphasizing low-GI, low-GL and high-CQI carbohydrate sources during pregnancy could support favorable developmental trajectories in offspring.