To what extent can maternal nutrition during pregnancy influence a child’s later cognitive or behavioural development?

While genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to neurodevelopmental outcomes such as ADHD and autism, growing attention is being paid to the potential role of prenatal exposures, including dietary patterns. Yet, evidence in this area remains limited, and causality is difficult to establish.

One recent study aimed to explore this question by analysing how maternal diet quality during pregnancy (specifically, adherence to a Western-style dietary pattern) related to neurodevelopmental outcomes in children assessed clinically at age 10.

In this episode, Dr. David Horner discusses the findings from this prospective cohort study, the use of metabolic markers to complement dietary data, and the implications for future research into modifiable prenatal risk factors.

About The Guest

Dr. David Horner is a researcher in maternal nutrition and cardiometabolic health, based at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is also a qualified medical doctor from Queen’s University of Belfast.

His research is driven by a keen interest in modifiable determinants of health, aiming to better understand and improve health outcomes.

Having worked as a medical doctor for 2 years in the UK, in 2017 Dr. Horner then moved to Copenhagen, where he completed a Master’s in Global Health and a PhD examining the impact of maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy on child health.

Timestamps

[02:47] Introduction to the study
[07:08] Strengths and findings of the study
[21:17] Genetic factors and gene-environment interactions
[25:42] Metabolomics and potential mechanisms
[30:12] Interpreting the study’s findings
[38:03] Future research directions
[42:50] Key ideas segment (Sigma Nutrition Premium)

Related Resources

Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
Join the Sigma email newsletter for free
Enroll in the next cohort of our Applied Nutrition Literacy course
See Sigma's "recommended resources" list
Email: david.horner@dbac.dk
Study: Horner et al., 2025 – A western dietary pattern during pregnancy is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and adolescence
David’s LinkedIn post about the study (with discussion in the comments)

#568: Does the Maternal Diet Impact Risk of ADHD & Autism? – David Horner, PhD