EP05.05: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy: effects on fetal cortical development

Maternal suboptimal nutrition is associated with impaired infants neurodevelopment while the adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD) during pregnancy improves fetal outcome. This study aimed to evaluate whether maternal adherence to MD is associated with changes in fetal cortical development. Prospective cross-sectional study including singleton fetuses undergoing neurosonography between 32 and 34 weeks of gestation. Cortical development variables, including the depth of Sylvian (SF), parieto-occipital (POF) and calcarine (CF) were compared according to their adherence to their dietary characteristics assessed by using the validated Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) score. Sub-group analysis according to the MEDAS score classes (low adherences (LA) < 5, medium (MA) 6-9, high (HA) >10). Women with pregestational diseases or experiencing pregnancies or fetal complications were excluded. Cortical variables measures were corrected for head circumference and expressed as Multiple of Median (MoM) of the expected value. A cohort of 214 women were considered, 51 with HA (23.8%). 116 with medium adherence MA (54.2%) and 47 with LA (22.0%). In comparison with fetuses of mother with high adherence to MD, fetuses from pregnancies with medium or low adherence showed significant difference in cortical development with reduced SF (HA 1.08 MoM, MA 0.93 MoM LA 0.87; p = 0.009), POF (HA 1.08 MoM, medium adherence 0.93 MoM low adherence 0.87; p = 0.005) and CF (HA 1.04 MoM, MA 0.94 MoM LA 0.85; p = 0.04) depths. Changes in cortical development were more pronounced in fetus from LA to MD pregnancies than in MA and HA groups. In uncomplicated pregnancies maternal adherence to MD is related to fetal brain cortical development. These findings support the existence of a link between brain development and maternal nutrition.