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Nutrition in early life interacts with genetic risk to influence preadult behaviour in the Raine Study
This research investigates the relationship between early life nutrition and genetic vulnerability in influencing child behaviour. The study hypothesized that psychiatric genetic risk would interact with early nutrition to predict behavioural issues in childhood and adolescence.
Utilizing data from the Raine Study, participants aged 2–17 were evaluated using the Child Behaviour Checklist Total Problems Score (CBCLTOT). Breastfeeding duration was recorded at ages 1, 2, and 3, while toddler diet was assessed through a 24-hour maternal recall at age 1. Polygenic scores (PGS) related to general psychopathology, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, chronic multisite pain (CMSP), total behaviour problems, and birthweight were derived.
The analysis involved 1393 participants and revealed a borderline significant finding indicating that an additional month of breastfeeding is associated with a reduction in the CBCLTOT by -0.108 points, specifically in individuals with a higher CMSP PGS (Interaction p = 0.03). Furthermore, in a subset of 1310 participants, an increase of one point on the EAT1 scale correlated with a reduction of 0.121 points in CBCLTOT among individuals with lower ADHD PGS (Interaction p = 0.0005). Post hoc analyses suggest that consumption of plant-based foods may be a significant factor driving the positive association between EAT1 and CBCLTOT.
These findings indicate that early life nutrition and genetic risk may interact to influence long-term behavioural outcomes in children. Contrary to initial hypotheses, dietary benefits were more pronounced in individuals with lower ADHD PGS, highlighting the need for further research. The study underscores the potential for incorporating genetic considerations into early nutritional intervention trials to enhance causal inference. [NPID: Behavior, early life, genetic risk, breastfeeding]
Year: 2026
