Published in the European Journal of Nutrition, this study examined how much choline women consumed during late pregnancy and whether those intakes were linked to early brain and motor development in their infants. Researchers followed 256 mother–infant pairs recruited from a maternity hospital in Nantong, China. Maternal choline intake in late pregnancy was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and infant development was evaluated at 1, 3, and 6 months of age.
The findings showed that choline intake among pregnant women was generally low. Average intake was about 343 mg per day, with only 1.56 percent of women meeting the recommended adequate intake. Mothers were divided into four groups based on their choline intake, from lowest to highest. Infants born to mothers with higher choline intakes showed significantly better progress over time in intelligence-related scores, as well as overall mental and psychomotor development indices.
After adjusting for potential confounding factors, higher maternal choline intake remained significantly associated with improvements in infants’ intelligence scores and overall mental and psychomotor development. The authors conclude that choline intake in late pregnancy appears to be linked to early neurobehavioral development. Emphasizing that most pregnant women consumed far less choline than recommended, they call for greater attention to choline nutrition during pregnancy.
To read how previous research suggests that higher vitamin D levels in pregnancy may lead to greater childhood IQ scores, see this news story on our website.
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February 13, 2026Study Associates Maternal Choline with Infant Intelligence and Development
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New research found a significant association between maternal choline intake and infant development and intelligence scores, but fewer than 2 percent of mothers had an adequate intake.
[Source: nutraingredients.com]
[Image source: Freepik.com]
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Published in the European Journal of Nutrition, this study examined how much choline women consumed during late pregnancy and whether those intakes were linked to early brain and motor development in their infants. Researchers followed 256 mother–infant pairs recruited from a maternity hospital in Nantong, China. Maternal choline intake in late pregnancy was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and infant development was evaluated at 1, 3, and 6 months of age.
The findings showed that choline intake among pregnant women was generally low. Average intake was about 343 mg per day, with only 1.56 percent of women meeting the recommended adequate intake. Mothers were divided into four groups based on their choline intake, from lowest to highest. Infants born to mothers with higher choline intakes showed significantly better progress over time in intelligence-related scores, as well as overall mental and psychomotor development indices.
After adjusting for potential confounding factors, higher maternal choline intake remained significantly associated with improvements in infants’ intelligence scores and overall mental and psychomotor development. The authors conclude that choline intake in late pregnancy appears to be linked to early neurobehavioral development. Emphasizing that most pregnant women consumed far less choline than recommended, they call for greater attention to choline nutrition during pregnancy.
To read how previous research suggests that higher vitamin D levels in pregnancy may lead to greater childhood IQ scores, see this news story on our website.
Dr. Rath Health Foundation
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