Prenatal Nutrition & the Brain

     Nutrition is probably the most important factors in the development of the infant in both the womb and after birth. Malnutrition can result in a wide range of behavioral and learning disabilities. Intelligence is easily influenced by the quality of nutritional intake.
    The nearer the period of malnutrition is to the time of most rapid growth the greater the potential damage to development of overall potential.
    One study compared the IQ of undernourished children with that of children who had superior nutrition. The difference was a startling 22.6 IQ points in favor of the better nourished group.
    Rats require about 121/2 micrograms of thiamine (Vitamin B1) a day. When Roger Williams fed them 3 micrograms a day their maze learning ability was below normal. When they received 100 micrograms a day their performance was supernormal. The profound effect resulted by altering only a single essential nutrient.
References:
Morgane, Peter J., et al, "Prenatal Malnutrition and Development of the Brain," Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews, 1993;17:91-128.
Williams, Roger, Nutrition Against Disease, New York: Pitman Publishing Company, 1971, 63-65.

Allergy and the Infant

     Families that strictly avoided food ad environmental allergy triggers during the first year of a baby's life resulted in only 13% of the children developing allergies. By contrast, families who did not practice this kind of prevention found that 40% of their children developed allergies.
    Preventive measures included avoiding highly allergenic foods like milk, egg, pets, mold, roaches, and dust mites. The researchers felt that breast feeding should be continued for at least 6 months. Breast fed infants are less likely to develop allergies. Highly allergenic foods should not be introduced earlier than one year of age.
Reference:
Bates B, "Allergy Prevention Starts With Diet During Breast-Feeding," Skin and Allergy News, July 2000:30.