Maternal Choline Supplementation Reduces Schizophrenia Risk in Babies

Choline supplementation in pregnancy can protect babies against the mental disorder schizophrenia, a new study says.

Choline is a vital nutrient required for the proper development of brain cells. Egg yolk, beef liver, pork, chicken, milk, soybeans, peanuts, cauliflower, iceberg lettuce, oranges and bananas are some dietary sources rich with the nutrient. The recommended daily intake of choline is 450 milligram.

Individuals afflicted with schizophrenia experience difficulty in differentiating the real from the unreal, thinking clearly, dealing with social situations normally and possessing normal emotional responses. According to the records, about 2.4 million Americans are affected by schizophrenia. The condition usually starts appearing during adolescence.

According to the background information provided in the study, in normal situations the brain responds to a sound during the first time and slows down in responding when the sound is repeated immediately. However, deficit inhibition, which is related to poor sensory filtering, is a common feature of schizophrenia and is taken as a risk factor in infancy.

The findings are based on experiments conducted by Robert Freedman and colleagues on pregnant women. After completing the first trimester, one group of pregnant women took phosphatidylcholine morning (3,600 milligrams) and evening (2,700 milligrams), while the second group took a placebo. Newborns of the participants were given 100 milligrams of either choline or placebo respectively.

Researchers found that 1-month-old babies who received choline supplementation (86 percent) before and after birth possessed lower rates of schizophrenic risk factors compared to babies who received placebo (43 percent).  

"Genes associated with schizophrenia are common, so prevention has to be applied to the entire population, and it has to be safe. Basic research indicates that choline supplementation during pregnancy facilitates cognitive functioning in offspring," Freedman said in a news release. "Our finding that it ameliorates some of the pathophysiology associated with risk for schizophrenia now requires longer-term follow-up to assess whether it decreases risk for the later development of illness as well."

The study will be published in The American Journal of Psychiatry.