title: Dietary Nutrient Intake in School-Aged Children With Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure.
abstract: Nutrition is an important factor that affects brain development. Nutritional deficiencies can exacerbate alcohol's damaging effects. Conversely, nutritional supplementation can serve a protective role against alcohol damage and may prove to be a worthwhile intervention strategy. This study investigated dietary intake in school-aged children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure to understand their nutritional status, compared to a national sample of typically developing children and Dietary Reference Intakes.
  
  
  
  Dietary intake data were collected from children with confirmed histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (5 to 10 years, n = 55) using the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Recall (ASA24). Observed nutrient levels were compared to the Dietary Reference Intakes to evaluate adequacy of nutrient intake as well as to national averages for same-aged children (What We Eat in America, NHANES 2007-2008).
  
  
  
  Alcohol-exposed children exhibited poorer nutritional status compared to the typically developing NHANES sample, consuming lower levels of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamins C and K, niacin, and choline. Moreover, their diets did not meet Recommended Dietary Allowance or Adequate Intake for dietary fiber, potassium, vitamins E and K, omega-3 fatty acids, and choline.
  
  
  
  The present findings are consistent with prior studies investigating nutritional intake in preschoolers with FASD, indicating that these children are vulnerable to nutritional inadequacies. Moreover, data suggest a specific profile of dietary intake in this population. As several nutrients are important for cognitive development, targeted interventions in clinical populations might be effective in boosting outcomes. Thus, further clinical investigation into the role of nutrition in improving cognitive outcomes is warranted.
authors.affiliation: VA San Diego Healthcare System , Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), San Diego, California.|Department of Psychiatry , University of California, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Tanya T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Center for Behavioral Teratology , Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Rashmi D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Risbud
authors.affiliation: Division of Dysmorphology and Teratology , Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.|Department of Family and Preventive Medicine , University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Christina D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.affiliation: Center for Behavioral Teratology , Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Jennifer D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys / Q000592:standards; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy
keywords: Dietary Intake; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders; Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; Nutrition; Prenatal Alcohol Exposure