Table 8.
Protein intake and neurodevelopment (2 cohort studies)
| Author, year (ref no.) Country Study design (study name if applicable) |
No. of participants | Exposure (incl age) | Outcome (incl age) | Effect/association | Study quality Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan, 2004 (37) UK Prospective cohort |
144 | 1. Total red and white meat intake (g) from 4 to 12 months as a continuous variable, i.e. total meat intake over 21 days between 4 and 12 months. 2. Total red and white meat intake (g) from 4 to 16 months as a continuous variable, i.e. total meat intake over 28 days between 4 and 16 months. 3. Total red and white meat intake (g) from 4 to 24 months as a continuous variable, i.e. total meat intake over 42 days between 4 and 24 months. |
Neurodevelopment was determined from the mental and motor scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II at 22 months | Meat intake from 4 to 12 and 4 to 16 months was positively and significantly related to psychomotor developmental indices (p, 0.02 and 0.013, respectively) but there was no association between breastfeeding and psychomotor developmental indices nor any interaction between meat intake and breastfeeding. Conversely, breastfeeding was positively and significantly related to mental developmental indices (p=0.01) but there was no association between meat intake and mental developmental indices or any interaction between breastfeeding and meat intake. These findings remained after adjustment for potential confounding factors. | B Food consumption database not reported, statistical power not reported. |
| Rask-Nissilä, 2002, (59) Finland Prospective cohort |
496 | (Energy [kcal]; fat [E%]; saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids [E%]; protein [E%]; and cholesterol [mg/day]) and serum cholesterol concentrations | The neurologic development (speech and language skills, gross motor performance and perception) | High protein intake at 5 and 4 years predicted speech and language skills at 5 years of age. | B Criteria for inclusion/exclusion not clear, loss to follow-up > 50%, associations between dietary exposures not reported, energy adjustment not clear, confounders? |