Browsing by Subject "lapsuusikä"

Aims: Many factors during pregnancy, including mother's diet, can affect mental health of the developing child. Preliminary studies have shown that being exposed to glycyrrhizin in licorice during pregnancy is associated with shorter duration of gestation and externalizing symptoms and lower cognitive performance in children. The evidence is still scarce and more research is needed. This study investigated the associations between maternal licorice consumption during pregnancy and externalizing and internalizing symptoms and social competence in children at the age of 5 and 8. Study also investigated whether exposure to glycyrrhizin during pregnancy is associated with change in symptoms or in social competence from 5 to 8 years. Methods: This study is part of Glycyrrhizin in Licorice (Glaku) cohort study. This study sample consists of 232 mothers, 128 fathers and their children born in 1998. Mothers reported their licorice consumption during pregnancy in maternity wards. Follow-up studies were carried when children were 5 and 8 years old, and both parents were asked to fill the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation –questionnaire (SCBE). SCBE gives information about child's behavior and functioning. Results and conclusions: Those 8-year olds, who were exposed to high amounts of glycyrrhizin (≥ 500 mg / week) during pregnancy, had higher risk for externalizing symptoms and lower social competence compared to those children, who were exposed to small amounts (0-249 mg / week) of glycyrrhizin during pregnancy. The heightened risk was not confounded by parental or neonatal parameters. Licorice consumption during pregnancy was not associated with mental health in 5-year old children. These results support the earlier findings that maternal licorice consumption during pregnancy has harmful effects on child's development. This evidence shows that avoiding licorice use during pregnancy could be of significant value when considering primary prevention of mental health problems.