Maternal One-Carbon Metabolites and Infant Growth and Development in a South African Cohort with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

OBJECTIVE: To examine nutrition and genetic factors as contributing to the adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). METHODS: Maternal plasma nutrient concentrations during pregnancy and select one-carbon maternal and child single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were examined to assess their association with child outcomes at nine months of age. Regression analyses indicated that there was no significant multivariate effect of betaine by alcohol interaction. However, main effects of betaine were observed. Few maternal and child SNPs were correlated with betaine-derived measures, and average child OFC centile and total dysmorphology score also were virtually identical by maternal and child one-carbon metabolism SNPs. CONCLUSION: One carbon metabolites during pregnancy may be important factors for child development, independent of alcohol exposure.