Two studies led by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) suggest that a maternal diet with a high glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) during gestation is associated with poorer cognitive and motor outcomes in children, from the first months of life up to the preschool stage.

The quality of carbohydrates refers to the speed at which they raise blood glucose levels. Whole, fiber-rich foods like whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts typically have lower GI and GL values, causing more gradual glucose increases.

The first investigation analyzed 1,080 pregnant women and their children. Through questionnaires on food consumption frequency, carbohydrate intake, GI, and GL were calculated. Monitoring child neurodevelopment between 8 and 28 months revealed that higher maternal carbohydrate intake and higher GI and GL values were associated with lower scores in language development and motor skills.

The second study, involving 420 pregnant women, assessed carbohydrate intake during the first and third trimesters. Child neurodevelopment was followed for four years, evaluating processing speed, non-verbal skills, visuomotor precision, and preschool IQ.

The consistency of the results reinforces the importance of carbohydrate quality in the maternal diet, an aspect that has received little attention in nutritional recommendations until now. The researchers highlight the need for clinical guidelines to incorporate quality, not just quantity, to promote optimal neurocognitive development.