Pregnant amid COVID-19? Choline supplementation may mitigate adverse outcomes

02 Jun 2020 --- Pregnant women who consume extra choline supplements may decrease the negative impact that viral respiratory infections, including COVID-19, can have on their babies. This is according to a new study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the US. The researchers highlight that supplementation with choline, which is linked to boosting brain health, is more relevant now than ever. This is due to the negative effects that the novel coronavirus may have on fetuses’ brain development, leading to mental health issues.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that COVID-19 will impact fetal brain development like other common coronavirus respiratory viruses,” says lead researcher Dr. Robert Freedman, Professor of Psychiatry at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus .

“It’s important for the healthcare community, and soon-to-be mothers, to be aware that a natural nutrient can be taken during pregnancy, just like folic acid and other prenatal vitamins, to protect fetuses and newborns from brain development issues. Later on in life, these development issues can lead to mental illness,” Freedman adds.

Choline is a vitamin B nutrient found in an array of foods and dietary supplements and hailed as critical to fetal brain development. The amount the body naturally produces via the liver is not enough to meet the requirements of the human body, hence why supplementation is important, according to experts. Not only is choline critical to brain health, particularly during fetal development, but it also influences liver function.

Choline is a vitamin B nutrient found in an array of foods and dietary supplements and hailed as critical to fetal brain development.Previously NutritionInsight reported that the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (The FASEB Journal) provided compelling evidence that significantly higher choline intakes during pregnancy, particularly in the last trimester, may result in faster information processing for babies. Meanwhile, experts have flagged that choline is missing from the diets of vegans and vegetarians and supplementation is warranted. Shortfalls of the nutrient are linked to irregularities in blood fat metabolism, as well as excess free radical cellular damage, says Dr. Emma Derbyshire of Nutritional Insight, a consultancy company specializing in nutrition.

Loading up on choline
The study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, specifically looked at whether higher prenatal choline levels can help protect the developing brain of the fetus, even if the mother contracts a viral respiratory infection in early pregnancy. The results reveal higher prenatal choline levels mitigate the fetal impact of virus infection.

In the study, researchers analyzed the effects on infant behavior if the mother had contracted a respiratory virus by measuring the infant's IBQ-R Regulation dimension, which looks at the development of infant attention and other self-regulatory behaviors. Lower IBQ-R Regulation at one year of age is associated with problems in attention and social behavior in later childhood, including decreased reading readiness at age four and with problems in concentration, and conscientiousness in children through seven years of age.

The study found:

• Infants of mothers who had viral infections and higher choline levels had significantly increased 3-month IBQ-R scores on the regulation dimension and specifically the attention scale in the regulation dimension, compared to infants of mothers who had viral infections and had lower choline levels.
• Choline levels sufficient to protect the fetus often require dietary supplements.
• The increased maternal anxiety and depression in the viral-infected mothers were not associated with their infants’ IBQ-R regulation.
  
  

The study highlights that in conjunction with the CDC’s advice on COVID-19’s effects in pregnancy, phosphatidylcholine or choline supplements along with other prenatal vitamins may help buffer the fetal brain from the possible detrimental impact of the current pandemic and decrease the risk of the children's future mental illness.

“Previous pandemics have resulted in significantly increased levels of mental illnesses including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit disorder in the offspring,” flags Dr. Camille Hoffman, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. 

“However, since data from COVID-19 itself will not be available for years, we're hoping our study findings will provide valuable information for soon-to-be mothers on the importance of taking choline supplements daily during pregnancy,” she adds.

Further adding to science supporting choline’s beneficial impact, researchers at the University of Eastern Finland found that the dietary intake of phosphatidylcholine has been connected with a reduced risk of dementia. The nutrient is also linked to enhanced cognitive performance in the prospective study. Participants with the highest dietary phosphatidylcholine had a 28 percent lower risk of dementia than those with the lowest intake. 

Edited by Kristiana Lalou