Placental Metabolism Is Linked to Prenatal Vitamin Supplement Use in the First Month of Pregnancy in the MARBLES Cohort.

This study looked at whether taking prenatal vitamins in the first month of pregnancy changes how the placenta processes nutrients and affects child development. Mothers who took prenatal vitamins had different chemical patterns in their placentas, particularly higher levels of amino acids. The placental chemistry was also linked to children having developmental delays or autism-like symptoms at 36 months, but not to autism diagnosis specifically.

This study examined whether prenatal vitamin use in the first month of pregnancy affects placental metabolism and child neurodevelopmental outcomes in the MARBLES cohort. Researchers analyzed placental and umbilical cord blood samples using metabolomics and assessed children at 36 months, categorizing them as typically developing, having ASD, or non-typically developing (developmental delays/elevated autism symptoms not meeting ASD criteria). Prenatal vitamin use was significantly associated with changes in placental and umbilical cord metabolism, with higher amino acid concentrations in placentas from mothers taking vitamins. The placental metabolome was also associated with non-typically developing outcomes, though not with ASD specifically.

Early pregnancy prenatal vitamin supplementation may influence placental metabolism and broader neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, the relationship between placental changes and child outcomes requires further investigation before clinical recommendations can be made.

Single cohort study with relatively small sample sizes (78 placental, 132 umbilical cord samples). Self-reported prenatal vitamin use may introduce recall bias. No evidence found for mediation between prenatal vitamins and outcomes through placental metabolism.

The first month of pregnancy is a key time in early developmental programming. Prenatal vitamin/mineral supplement use during the first month of pregnancy (PNVmo1) was associated with reduced risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Markers of Autism Risk in Babies, Learning Early Signs (MARBLES) cohort. We aimed to evaluate the associations between PNVmo1, the placental and umbilical cord serum metabolomes, and the child's later neurodevelopmental outcome in the MARBLES pregnancy cohort. Placental (n = 78) and umbilical cord serum (n = 132) metabolomes were investigated usingH nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

PNVmo1 was determined by self-report. At 36 mo of age, child neurodevelopmental outcomes were classified by MARBLES clinicians into 3 groups: typically developing (TD), ASD, or nontypically developing (Non-TD) but not ASD, which was dominated by developmental delays and/or elevated autism symptoms but not meeting ASD criteria. After adjustment for covariates, permutational multivariate analysis of variance revealed that PNVmo1 was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with the placental and umbilical cord serum metabolomes. In the placenta, higher concentrations of amino acids were observed in the PNVmo1 group (false discovery rate <0.1).

After adjustment for PNVmo1 and other covariates, permutational multivariate analysis of variance revealed a significant association (P < 0.05) between the placental metabolome and Non-TD outcome status. No associations were observed in the analyses of umbilical cord serum metabolism or with ASD outcome. We tested for but did not find evidence that the placental metabolome explained the relationship between PNVmo1 and Non-TD outcome in an exploratory mediation analysis. These findings suggest that the placental metabolome could be sensitive to nutrient supplementation during the earliest stages of pregnancy.