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Nutrients
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Early-Life Nutrition and Health Trajectories: A Focus on Neurodevelopment and...
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Early-Life Nutrition and Health Trajectories: A Focus on Neurodevelopment and Metabolism

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 October 2026 | Viewed by 2805

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Katherine Svensson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 17 East 102nd Street, New York, NY 10029, USA
Interests: nutrition; maternal; pregnancy; childhood; adiposity; environmental health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tania Siahanidou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Neonatal Unit, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Interests: pediatrics; neonatology; prematurity; neonatal feeding and nutrition; peptides and hormones involved in neonatal metabolism; neonatal infections; neurodevelopment; insulin resistance; metabolism; glucose metabolism; nutrition; lipid metabolism; metabolic diseases; fat; abdominal obesity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is an emerging literature highlighting the importance of a nutritious diet to optimize child growth and development, even from preconception and during pregnancy. Optimal maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy has a significant role in fetal development and has been associated with favorable birth outcomes and healthy infant growth. After birth, children continue to grow, and certain organs (e.g., the brain) undergo significant development until adulthood. While good nutrition is essential throughout life, it is especially critical during key developmental windows to support long-term health.

Current research underscores the importance of optimal nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life for promoting the well-being of maternal and child health. However, there remains a need for further research into the long-term benefits of early life nutrition on health outcomes extending into childhood and adulthood. Establishing both optimal nutrient intake and healthy dietary habits during sensitive windows of development is vital. The long-term effect may influence the areas of growth, metabolism, and neurodevelopment. Therefore, the role of nutrition in preventing adverse health outcomes long-term, mitigating the impact of environmental exposures and toxicants, and supporting fetal and infant metabolic health and neurodevelopment is a critical area that warrants further exploration.

This Special Issue will include manuscripts focusing on the role of nutrition in fetal and child metabolic health and neurodevelopment, and its long-term health effects. Specifically, it will address the importance of nutrition in fetal programming, disease prevention, therapeutic potential, and the promotion of improved long-term health outcomes. This Special Issue welcomes (but is not limited to) original research articles from epidemiological studies and review articles. The content may be useful for researchers aiming to advance the field, and for nutritionists and clinical practitioners involved in research translation.

Dr. Katherine Svensson
Dr. Tania Siahanidou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nutrition
  • growth and development
  • lifespan
  • child
  • prenatal nutrition
  • fetal programming
  • malnutrition
  • health promotion
  • mitigation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 387 KB  
Article
Caregiver Weight Misperception and Feeding Practices in U.S. Preschool-Aged Children: A Theory-Based Cross-Sectional Study
by Qutaibah Oudat, Sarah Messiah, Tamilyn Bakas and Alia Ghoneum
Nutrients 2026, 18(12), 1880; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18121880 - 11 Jun 2026
Viewed by 132
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Caregiver perception of child weight may be a cognitive antecedent of feeding practices, yet evidence linking misperception to feeding practices remains inconsistent. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory, this study examined whether caregiver weight perception (underestimation, overestimation, or accurate) is independently associated with [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Caregiver perception of child weight may be a cognitive antecedent of feeding practices, yet evidence linking misperception to feeding practices remains inconsistent. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory, this study examined whether caregiver weight perception (underestimation, overestimation, or accurate) is independently associated with feeding practices among caregivers of U.S. preschool-aged children. Methods: Primary caregivers of children aged 3–5 years (analytic n = 139) were recruited across the Midwestern United States from April 2022 to March 2023. Weight perception was classified as accurate, underestimation, or overestimation by comparing perceived with CDC BMI-for-age category. Four Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) subscales were assessed: pressure to eat, restriction for health, restriction for weight control, and monitoring. Multivariable linear regression estimated associations, adjusting for child and caregiver characteristics and child BMI-for-age z-score. Results: Overall, 45.3% of caregivers accurately perceived their child’s weight, 44.6% underestimated it, and 10.1% overestimated it. In adjusted models, underestimation was independently associated with lower restriction for health (B = −0.62, 95% CI: −1.10, −0.13, p = 0.013) and lower restriction for weight control (B = −0.30, 95% CI: −0.58, −0.02, p = 0.033) relative to accurate perception. Overestimation was marginally associated with higher restriction for weight control (B = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.00, 1.07, p = 0.050). No associations were observed with pressure to eat or monitoring. Conclusions: Weight misperception was selectively associated with restrictive feeding. This identifies it as a candidate cognitive target in early obesity prevention research. Longitudinal research is needed to establish causality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early-Life Nutrition and Health Trajectories: A Focus on Neurodevelopment and Metabolism)
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15 pages, 1805 KB  
Article
Maternal Glucose Metabolism and Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Offspring: Modification by Erythrocyte Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
by Xuanqing He, Sufang Duan, Jian He, Bin Sun, Ting Li, Minyan Lan, Xiaonan Gu, Guoyu Zhang, Lizi Lin, Duo Li and Li Cai
Nutrients 2026, 18(12), 1840; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18121840 - 6 Jun 2026
Viewed by 194
Abstract
Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) adversely affects offspring neurobehavioral outcomes, yet evidence regarding continuous markers of maternal glucose metabolism remains limited. Although polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to affect associations between glucose metabolism and respiratory outcomes, their effects on children’s emotional [...] Read more.
Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) adversely affects offspring neurobehavioral outcomes, yet evidence regarding continuous markers of maternal glucose metabolism remains limited. Although polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to affect associations between glucose metabolism and respiratory outcomes, their effects on children’s emotional and behavioral problems remain unclear. This study investigated the association between maternal glucose metabolism and emotional and behavioral problems in children and the potential modifying effect of maternal erythrocyte PUFAs. Methods: This prospective birth cohort included 481 mother–child pairs. Maternal glucose metabolism during pregnancy was assessed using GDM diagnosis via a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 1 h and 2 h OGTT glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), insulin, and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Maternal erythrocyte PUFAs were quantified by gas chromatography. Children’s emotional and behavioral problems at age 5 years were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Generalized linear models were used to evaluate associations, including multiplicative interaction terms between glucose metabolism indicators and PUFAs. Results: Maternal FPG (OR = 1.63; 95%CI: 1.08–2.47), OGTT-1h glucose (OR = 1.84; 95%CI: 1.08–3.12), and HOMA-IR (OR = 1.52; 95%CI: 1.01–2.27) were each positively associated with an increased risk of abnormal total difficulties scores in children. Maternal insulin levels were positively associated with abnormal total difficulties scores in girls (p for interaction < 0.05). Higher maternal n-3 PUFA levels and lower n-6 PUFA levels attenuated the risk of glucose metabolism-related emotional and behavioral problems in children. Conclusion: Maternal glucose metabolism was associated with increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems in children. PUFA biomarkers could modify glucose-related emotional and behavioral outcomes in children. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early-Life Nutrition and Health Trajectories: A Focus on Neurodevelopment and Metabolism)
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14 pages, 1148 KB  
Article
Cognitive and Executive Function Scores at Age 7 in Relation to Maternal Mid-Pregnancy Plasma Nutrient Mixtures in a Singaporean Family Follow-Up Cohort
by Jordana Leader, Shiwen Li, Stefano Renzetti, Jun Shi Lai, Yap-Seng Chong, Kok Hian Tan, Johan G. Eriksson, Keith M. Godfrey, Evelyn C. Law, Mary Foong-Fong Chong, Shiao-Yng Chan, Damaskini Valvi, Jonathan Huang and Youssef Oulhote
Nutrients 2026, 18(5), 818; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18050818 - 3 Mar 2026
Viewed by 963
Abstract
Background: Although there is substantial research into individual nutrients during pregnancy, such as folate, iron, and vitamin D, little is known about the impact of mixtures of essential nutrients. We investigated the associations between mixtures of maternal essential minerals and vitamin concentrations [...] Read more.
Background: Although there is substantial research into individual nutrients during pregnancy, such as folate, iron, and vitamin D, little is known about the impact of mixtures of essential nutrients. We investigated the associations between mixtures of maternal essential minerals and vitamin concentrations and child cognition and executive functions at age 7. Methods: Data from 348 mother–child pairs in the Growing up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes birth cohort with both plasma nutrient and neurodevelopmental outcome data were used. Gestational fasting plasma samples between 26 and 28 weeks of gestation were analyzed for 10 essential minerals and 12 B and D vitamers. Child cognition and executive functions at 7 years were assessed using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence 2nd Edition (WASI-II) [n = 331] and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function 2nd Edition (BRIEF-2) [n = 348], respectively. Generalized weighted quantile sum regression (gWQS) was used to investigate the associations between nutrient mixtures and child cognitive executive function scores. Single-nutrient analysis using covariate-adjusted multivariable regressions was performed as a sensitivity analysis. Results: A one-quartile increase in the positively weighted nutrient mixture index was associated with higher block design T-scores (β = 2.17, 95% CI: 0.03, 4.31). Additionally, the negatively weighted mixture was associated with lower block design (β = −2.25, 95% CI: −4.92, 0.41, p = 0.02) and perceptual reasoning (β = −1.94, 95% CI: −5.17, 1.29, p = 0.04) scores in boys only. We found no association between the nutrient mixture and BRIEF-2 subscale T-scores. Conclusions: In this study, we found that a positively weighted nutrient mixture index of maternal gestational minerals and vitamins was associated with a greater ability in children to analyze and understand abstract visual items. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early-Life Nutrition and Health Trajectories: A Focus on Neurodevelopment and Metabolism)
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