Browsing by Author "Tuomi, Ilona"

Objectives: Fetal exposure to excess cortisol may negatively affect the mental development of a child later in life. Consumption of licorice, containing glycyrrhizin (a potent inhibitor of placental 11β- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, the “barrier” to maternal glucocorticoids), increases the cortisol level in fetal circulation. Therefore, since 2016, the national nutritional recommendations in Finland have recommended avoiding licorice consumption during pregnancy. The aim of this study is to assess the association between glycyrrhizin consumption in different stages of pregnancy and child neurocognitive development in early childhood. In earlier research, child neurodevelopment has not been studied before school age. Methods: The sample of the study is a part of the ITU (InTraUterine sampling in early pregnancy) cohort. Mothers reported their glycyrrhizin consumption from the preceding three months three times during pregnancy. The child’s neurocognitive development was assessed with Ages and Stages Questionnaires -3 (ASQ-3) at 1–2 years (mean age = 1.55 years, standard deviation (SD) = 1.44 months, n = 516, 47.50 % girls) and with Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III (BSID-III) at 3 years (mean = 2.96 years, SD = 2.69 months, n = 476, 50.40 % girls). The association between licorice consumption and neurocognitive development was assessed using linear, logistic, and Poisson regression models. Results and conclusions: Maternal glycyrrhizin consumption and child neurocognitive development were negatively associated at 1–2 and 3 years. The results varied between areas of development and the time of pregnancy: consumption during early pregnancy was associated with slower gross motor development at 3 years, mid-pregnancy consumption with slower cognitive and language development at 3 years, and late pregnancy with slower total neurodevelopment scores at 1–2 years. Thus, avoiding licorice consumption through pregnancy and following the national guidelines that followed the previous studies on this subject is recommended.