Association between maternal sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and the social-emotional development of child before 1 year old: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

BackgroundExcessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has become an international public health issue. Adverse effects of sugary beverage consumption on both mother and child during pregnancy continue to be found. However, evidence regarding maternal SSB consumption and social-emotional development of children is lacking.MethodsBased on the Shenzhen Birth Cohort Study (loss rate: 10.97%), we included 985 mother-infant pairs from 2018 to 2022. All mothers had a singleton live birth without hypertension, diabetes, tumor, or serious immune system disease before pregnancy. We used a chart of frequency distribution to show maternal SSB consumption, including non-diet soda, tea drinks (not 100% tea), fruit drinks, Sugar-sweetened coffee, bubble tea, or cocoa drinks, and total SSBs. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratios of the potential delay on social-emotional development of each child was monitored at both 6 months and 12 months of age based on maternal SSB consumption.ResultsAmong the mothers, 728 (73.91%) drank SSBs <1 time per week, 194 (19.70%) drank SSBs 1–2 times per week, 43 (4.37%) drank SSBs 3–4 times per week, and 20 (2.03%) drank SSBs 5 or more times per week. Children aged 12 months with mothers who drank SSBs five or more times per week during pregnancy had an increased risk of potential delay on social-emotional development compared to those with mothers who drank SSBs less than once per week [odds ratio: 3.08 (1.13–8.39)]. Regarding the specific kinds of SSBs, we found that tea drinks (not 100% tea) were positively associated with potential delay on social-emotional development in children aged 6 months.ConclusionNearly three-quarters of mothers consumed almost no SSBs during pregnancy. High SSB intake during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of the potential delay on social-emotional development of a child at 6 and 12 months of age.

The Impact of Free Sugar on Human Health—A Narrative Review

“…Maternal exposure to diets high in sucrose [ 161 ] and fructose [ 162 ] resulted in spatial cognition deficits and hippocampal alterations in rat offspring. These findings have been replicated in human studies where maternal (pregnant or breastfeeding) SSB and fructose consumption (predominantly fructose) was inversely related to childhood cognitive performance [ 163 , 164 ], social–emotional development [ 165 ], and alterations in brain tissue [ 166 ]. Prenatal exposure to sucrose in mice was associated with impairments in attention and impulsivity in offspring [ 167 ].…”

“…Mechanisms and signals involved in metabolic and homeostatic control can be disrupted via several proposed mechanisms. Consumption of palatable foods, including sugar, stimulates dopamine release in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the hypothalamus, activating reward pathways (from the VTA to the NAcc), which can override satiety signals [ 165 , 166 ]. Repeated exposure to palatable foods alters mesocorticolimbic dopamine circuitry, dysregulating homeostatic controls, reinforcing food cues, and increasing feeding [ 167 , 168 ].…”

The Amount of Fluid Intake among Pregnant Women in China Increases with Pregnancy Progression: A Prospective Cohort Study

“…In addition, the participants consumed low levels of SSBs (0~68 mL) in this study, which may have been due to their high attention to health during pregnancy. Accumulating evidence has linked SSB intake with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery, and other pregnancy complications [31,62].…”

“…Furthermore, it cannot be ignored that the water intake levels of women during pregnancy have a long-term effect on their infant's early development. A prospective cohort study conducted in China on 985 women and their infants showed that a high sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) intake level during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of delay in the social-emotional development of children at 6 and 12 months old [31].…”