Fermented dairy foods consumption and depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis of cohort studies

BACKGROUND

The gut-brain axis has been potentially proposed as a link between the intake of fermented dairy foods and depression. We carried out this meta-analysis on published cohort studies to estimate the overall depression risk of fermented dairy foods intake.

METHODS

We searched the CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) and PubMed databases for all articles within a range of published years from 2010 to 2022 on the association between fermented dairy foods intake and depression.

RESULTS

Finally, 8 studies met the inclusion criteria for this study, with 83,533 participants. Overall, there was statistical evidence of significantly decreased depression risk was found to be associated with fermented dairy foods intake (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.81-0.98). In subgroup analysis, cheese and yogurt consumptions were significantly associated with decreased depression risk (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.84-0.98 for cheese and OR = 0. 84, 95% CI = 0.72-0.99 for yogurt). However, we failed to find superabundant intake of fermented dairy foods intake decreased the risk of depression.

CONCLUSION

Our meta-analysis indicated that fermented dairy foods intake may have potential beneficial effect on depression via the gut-brain axis.

Prenatal folic acid supplementation and autism spectrum disorder in 3-year-old offspring: the Japan environment and children's study

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated the relationship between prenatal folic acid supplementation and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 3-year-old offspring.

METHODS

We used data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a nationwide prospective birth cohort study. We analyzed the data to determine the association between folic acid supplement use and the incidence of ASD in offspring, and classified participants into three groups based on the time of initiation of folic acid supplementation, as follows: (1) preconception users of folic acid supplements and (2) post-conception users, and (3) non-users. The dietary folate intake of study participants was also classified into three groups (<200 µg, 200 µg to <400 µg, ≥400 µg).

RESULTS

Overall, 361 offspring of 96,931 participants with single pregnancies were diagnosed with ASD (0.37%). A total of 7,046 participants (7.3%) used folic acid supplements before conception, 29,984 (30.9%) took them after detection of pregnancy, and 59,901 (61.8%) never received them. Multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated no association between prenatal folic acid supplementation and ASD in offspring (preconception use: adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.189; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.819-1.727 and post-conception use: AOR, 1.072; 95% CI, 0.840-1.368); additionally, no association was observed with the use of folic acid supplements and/or multivitamin supplements (preconception use: AOR, 1.273; 95% CI, 0.921-1.760 and post-conception use: AOR, 1.132; 95% CI, 0.885-1.449). Moreover, no significant association was observed in participants with combined prenatal supplement use and dietary folate intake.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal use of folic acid supplements from the pre- or post-conception period was not significantly associated with ASD in 3-year-old offspring in Japan. Evaluation of the dietary folate intake from preconception also showed no significant association.

Urinary neonicotinoids level among pregnant women in Japan

Neonicotinoids (NEOs) are the most important globally available class of chemical insecticides since the introduction of synthetic pyrethroids. The adverse effects of NEOs for early development have been reported via in vivo and epidemiological studies. Therefore, prenatal NEOs exposure is highly concerning. This study aimed to determine the level of NEOs exposure during daily life among pregnant women in Japan, as well as the sources of exposure. Spot urine samples were collected during the first, second, and third trimesters from 109 pregnant women who delivered their infants at obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Kumamoto city, Japan, between 2014 and 2016. Additional data were obtained from medical records and self-administered questionnaires. thiamethoxam and clothianidin (CLO) were detected in most participants (83.4% and 80.9%, respectively), and at higher concentrations than those in other areas of Japan. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a statistical significant association of pulses in CLO (1.01 [1.00-1.02]). In conclusion, pregnant women in Japan appear to be exposed to NEOs in their daily lives, and pulses intake may be a source of NEOs exposure. These findings may further the assessment of human NEOs exposure risk.

Associations of maternal stress and/or depressive symptoms with diet quality during pregnancy: a narrative review

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy can be a stressful time for many women; however, it is unclear if higher stress and depressive symptoms are associated with poorer diet quality during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

The aims for this narrative review were to (1) synthesize findings of original, peer-reviewed studies that examined associations of stress and/or depressive symptoms with diet quality during pregnancy; (2) review the measurement tools used to assess stress, depressive symptoms, and diet quality; (3) identify current gaps in the extant literature; and (4) offer recommendations for future research.

METHODS

A search strategy was used to identify peer-reviewed manuscripts published between January 1997 and October 2018, using the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL Complete, PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete, and Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection. The search was updated December 2019. Two reviewers independently assessed title, abstract, and full-text of the studies that met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted and a quality assessment was conducted.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven observational studies were identified in this review (21 cross-sectional and 6 longitudinal). In 22 studies, higher stress and/or depressive symptoms were associated with poorer diet quality or unhealthy dietary patterns; 5 studies found no association. Findings are mixed and inconclusive regarding the relationship among stress, depressive symptoms, and food groups related to diet quality and frequency of fast-food consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

The current data suggest stress and depressive symptoms may be a barrier to proper diet quality during pregnancy; however, variability in the assessment tools, timing of assessments, and use of covariates likely contribute to the inconsistency in study findings. Gaps in the literature include limited use of longitudinal study designs, limited use of comprehensive diet-quality indices, underrepresentation of minority women, and lack of multilevel theoretical frameworks. Studies should address these factors to better assess associations of stress and/or depressive symptoms with diet quality during pregnancy.

Impact of individual and neighborhood social capital on the physical and mental health of pregnant women: the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS)

Background

Previous studies revealed positive, negative, and no influence of social capital on the health outcomes of pregnant women. It was considered that such differences were caused by the disparities of outcome measures and sample sizes between studies. Our chief aim was to verify the positive influence of social capital on the health condition of pregnant women using established health outcome measures and large-scale nationwide survey data.

Methods

We employed questionnaire survey data from 79,210 respondents to the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, and physical and mental component summary scores from the 8-Item Short-Form Health Survey as outcome measures. We estimated the effect of individual and neighborhood social capitals on physical and mental component summary scores. To consider the property that the richness of social capital would be generally determined by individual characteristics, and to estimate the causal influence of social capital on health without bias caused by said property, we adopted average treatment effect estimation with inverse probability weighting. Generally, average treatment effects are based on the difference of average outcomes between treated and untreated groups in an intervention. In this research, we reckoned individuals’ different levels of social capital as a kind of non-randomized treatment for respective individuals, and we applied average treatment effect estimation. The analysis regarded pregnant women with the lowest level of social capital as untreated samples and women with other levels of social capitals as treated samples.

Results

For mental component summary score, the maximum average treatment effects in the comparison between the lowest and highest levels of social capital were approximately 4.4 and 1.6 for individual and neighborhood social capital, respectively. The average treatment effects for the physical component summary score were negligible for both social capital types.

Conclusions

Social capital particularly contributes to improving mental component summary score in pregnant women. The likelihood of a mentally healthy pregnancy may be increased by enhancing social capital.

Mother-to-infant bonding failure and intimate partner violence during pregnancy as risk factors for father-to-infant bonding failure at 1 month postpartum: an adjunct study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study

Objective: To survey the frequency and risk factors for father-to-infant lack of affection (LA) and anger/rejection (AR) bonding failure at 1 month postpartum.Material and methods: The study participants enrolled in the prospective birth cohort study of an adjunct study of the Japan Environment & Children's Study. Bonding failure, psychological distress during pregnancy and postnatal depression symptoms were evaluated using the Japanese version of the Mother-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS-J), the Kessler 6-item (K6) psychological distress scale and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS-J). This study extracted relative factors based on approximately 10% occupancy of the total high scores in MIBS-J subscales as a cut-off for bonding failure. The cut-off scores on the paternal EPDS-J were eight, on maternal EPDS-J was 9, and on the K6 psychological distress scale score was 13.Results: A total of 1008 couples who had single delivery were assessed at 1 month postpartum, respectively. The prevalence of paternal MIBS-J_LA scores ≥4 was 8.3%, MIBS-J_AR scores ≥3 was 7.9%, and EPDS-J scores ≥8 was 11.2%, respectively. In the multiple logistics analysis, paternal MIBS-J_LA scores ≥4 were significantly associated with maternal MIBS-J_LA score ≥3 (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.814; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.377-5.747), mental intimate partner violence (IPV) against the mother during pregnancy (AOR 2.176; 95% CI: 1.185-3.997), maternal K6 psychological distress scale score ≥13 (AOR 2.980; 95% CI: 1.317-6.745), paternal EPDS-J score ≥8 (AOR 3.227; 95% CI: 1.767-5.892), and a history of mental health disorder (AOR 4.125; 95% CI: 1.423-11.963). Paternal MIBS-J_AR scores ≥3 were significantly associated with maternal MIBS-J_AR scores ≥3 (AOR 5.082; 95% CI: 2.453-10.529), a history of physical IPV against the mother during pregnancy (AOR 5.230; 95% CI: 1.016-26.920), paternal K6 psychological distress scale score ≥13 (AOR 4.145; 95% CI: 1.311-13.107), and paternal EPDS-J scores ≥8 (AOR 4.479; 95% CI: 2.503-8.013). In Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient analyses between paternal and maternal MIBS-J score, MIBS-J_LA score was r = 0.2112, p < .0001, and MIBS-J_AR score was r = 0.3281, p < .0001.Conclusion: Father-to-infant lack of affection bonding failure was associated with mother-to-infant lack of affection bonding failure, mental IPV against mother during pregnancy, maternal psychological distress during pregnancy, paternal postpartum depression symptoms, and history of paternal mental health disorders. Father-to-infant anger/rejection bonding failure was associated with mother-to-infant anger/rejection bonding failure, physical IPV against mother during pregnancy, paternal psychological distress during pregnancy, and paternal postpartum depression symptoms. Since bonding failure is a risk factor for infant maltreatment, further investigations are recommended to fully assess these associations to resolve parent perinatal mental health issues for preventing father-to-infant bonding failure.

The prevalence and risk factors for postpartum depression symptoms of fathers at one and 6 months postpartum: an adjunct study of the Japan Environment & Children's Study

Objective: To survey prevalence and risk factors for paternal postpartum depression symptoms at one and 6 months postpartum in Japan.Material and methods: The study participants enrolled in the prospective birth cohort study of an adjunct study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study. Postpartum depression symptoms were evaluated using the Japanese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS-J). The cut-off scores on the paternal EPDS-J were eight and on maternal EPDS-J was nine, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression included an adjustment for paternal age, maternal age, the number of children in the family, family structure, paternal employment, paternal academic history, household income, paternal smoking status, paternal history of mental health disorders, the Kessler 6-item psychological distress scale (K6) score during pregnancy, infertility treatment, paternal mental intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy, paternal physical IPV during pregnancy, the sex of the newborn, congenital anomalies of the newborn, infant disease under medical treatment, returning to the maternal parent's house to give birth or take care of infant, the father's history of disease or injury that required medical treatment, paternity leave, and the EPDS-J for mothers.Results: A total of 1023 and 1330 fathers and their spouse who had a single delivery were assessed at one and 6 months postpartum, respectively. The prevalence of paternal EPDS-J scores ≥8 was 11.2 and 12.0% at one and 6 months postpartum, respectively. In the multiple logistics analysis, paternal EPDS-J scores ≥8 at 1 month postpartum was significantly associated with history of mental health disorders (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.825; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.047-7.623), K6 score ≥13 during pregnancy (AOR 4.116; 95% CI: 1.598-10.599), household income <4000 × 10³ yen (AOR 1.799; 95% CI: 1.072-3.021), and infant disease under medical treatment (AOR 1.720; 95% CI: 1.015-2.915). Paternal EPDS-J scores ≥8 at 6 months postpartum was significantly associated with K6 scores ≥13 during pregnancy (AOR 4.621; 95% CI: 2.113-10.107), unemployment (AOR 3.751; 95% CI: 1.739-8.091) and maternal EPDS-J scores ≥9 (AOR 2.460; 95% CI: 1.514-3.996).Conclusion: The prevalence of paternal postpartum depression symptoms were 11.2 and 12.0% at one and 6 months postpartum. Paternal postpartum depression symptoms at 1 month postpartum were associated with the history of mental health disorders, psychological distress during pregnancy, low income, and infant disease under medical treatment. Paternal postpartum depression symptoms at 6 months postpartum were associated with psychological distress during pregnancy, unemployment, and maternal postpartum depression. It is important to consider the paternal postpartum depression symptoms, and further enlightenment regarding these issues is recommended in Japan.

Prenatal stress and the development of psychopathology: Lifestyle behaviors as a fundamental part of the puzzle

Maternal psychological stress, depression, and anxiety during pregnancy (prenatal stress; PNS) are thought to impact fetal development with long-term effects on offspring outcome. These effects would include physical and mental health, including psychopathology. Maternal sleep, diet, and exercise during pregnancy are lifestyle behaviors that are understudied and often solely included in PNS studies as confounders. However, there are indications that these lifestyle behaviors may actually constitute essential mediators between PNS and fetal programming processes. The goal of this theoretical review was to investigate this idea by looking at the evidence for associations between PNS and sleep, diet, and exercise, and by piecing together the information on potential underlying mechanisms and causal pathways through which these factors may affect the offspring. The analysis of the literature led to the conclusion that sleep, diet, and exercise during pregnancy, may have fundamental roles as mediators between PNS and maternal pregnancy physiology. By integrating these lifestyle behaviors into models of prenatal programming of development, a qualitatively higher and more comprehensive understanding of the prenatal origins of psychopathology can be obtained. The review finalizes by discussing some of the present challenges facing the field of PNS and offspring programming, and offering solutions for future research.