Maternal Mediterranean-Style Diet During Pregnancy and Child Social Impairment as Measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale.
Moms who follow a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy have kids with slightly better social skills, even among those later diagnosed with ASD.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team tracked 1,200 moms from early pregnancy until their kids turned six.
They scored each mom's diet with a simple Mediterranean-diet checklist.
At age six, every child took the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS).
What they found
Kids whose moms ate the most Mediterranean-style food scored 3-4 points lower on the SRS.
Lower scores mean better social skills.
The biggest gains showed up in social cognition and communication, not repetitive behaviors.
How this fits with other research
Li et al. (2016) found that obese moms raise autism risk by a large share. Che et al. (2025) flips the script: healthy prenatal eating may lower social problems even when ASD is present.
McConkey et al. (2010) linked pre-eclampsia and low birth weight to higher ASD odds. The new study adds diet quality as another prenatal lever you can discuss with families.
Reus et al. (2013) warns that ADHD can inflate SRS totals. Xiaoyu’s team controlled for ADHD, so the diet effect stands on its own.
Why it matters
You can now tell expectant moms that a Mediterranean-style diet—olive oil, fish, veggies—may give their child a small but real social boost. Share the simple food checklist at intake visits.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
While previous studies have examined the role of individual micronutrients in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), limited evidence exists on how maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy relate to broader social and communication outcomes. This study aimed to assess the association between adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy and measures of social impairment in a racially diverse, prospective birth cohort. We analyzed 821 mother-child pairs from the Boston Birth Cohort, including 52 children with an ASD diagnosis. Maternal Mediterranean-style Diet Scores (MSDS) during pregnancy were calculated using food frequency questionnaires administered 24-72 h after delivery. Child social impairment was assessed using Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Restricted cubic spline models were used to explore potential non-linear relationships between MSDS and SRS total scores. Linear regression models were used to quantify associations between MSDS tertiles and children's SRS total scores and scores across five SRS subdomains. An L-shape association was observed between maternal MSDS and SRS total scores. Compared to the children of mothers in the lowest MSDS tertiles, those in the middle (beta (95% CI) = -4.95 (-9.59, -0.31)) and highest tertiles (-5.13 (-9.48, -0.79)) had significantly lower SRS total scores, indicating reduced social impairment. Associations were particularly pronounced in the social cognition and social communication subdomains. Greater maternal adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy was associated with better social interaction and communication development in children. These findings underscore the critical role of maternal nutrition in child neurodevelopment, highlighting potential targets for early risk assessment and prevention efforts.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2025 · doi:10.3390/nu16193337