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Session: Seafood Access and Intake for Child Health and Development (Oral 20)

(OR20-03-24) Seafood Consumption During Childhood and Adolescence and Neurocognitive Development of the Child: A Systematic Review

Monday, July 1, 2024
10:12 AM – 10:24 AM CT
Location:  W183

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Lauren E. O'Connor, PhD, MPH (she/her/hers)

    Systematic Review Methodologist
    Texas A&M Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Evidence Center
    Germantown, Maryland, United States

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • MS

    Maureen K. Spill

    Nutrition and Health Program Lead
    Texas A&M Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Evidence Center, United States

  • SS

    Sanjoy Saha, Ph.D.

    Assistant Research Scientist
    Texas A&M Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Evidence Center
    Fort Worth, Texas, United States

  • JD

    Julie S. Davis

    Texas A&M Agriculture, Food, & Nutrition Evidence Center, United States

  • CT

    Christopher G. Thompson

    Texas A&M University, United States

  • Amanda MacFarlane, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Director
    Texas A&M Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Evidence Center
    Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Objectives: To provide an updated assessment of the literature on the relationship between seafood intake during childhood and adolescence and neurocognitive development to inform the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) committee on The Role of Seafood in Child Growth and Development.

Methods: This systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42023432844) updated a previous Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR) systematic review with 4 additional years of research. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies (PCSs) that compared different types, amounts, sources, frequency, or timing of seafood intake during childhood and neurocognitive developmental outcomes were included (cognition, language/communication, movement/physical, behavior, attention, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, and depression). Articles from 4 electronic databases were reviewed independently by two researchers at the title, abstract, and full text levels. Data were extracted by one analyst and reviewed for quality by another. Risk of bias (ROB) was assessed independently by two analysts using Cochrane’s ROB tools. Primary results were synthesized narratively.

Results: Of the 1101 records identified, 4 articles were eligible plus the 13 articles from the previous NESR search (n=17 total articles). Eight articles (n=3 low ROB) were from 5 RCTs and reported developmental outcomes related to cognition, movement/physical, behavior, and attention. RCTs were short-term ( < 16 weeks), conducted in Northern European populations, assessed fatty fish intake, and had largely null (p >0.05) for all relevant outcomes. Nine articles (all had some concerns or high ROB) were from 8 PCSs conducted in Europe, Asia, and North American populations and included development outcomes related to cognition, movement/physical, behavior, attention, and depression. Most results were null, except that higher vs lower seafood intake was associated with improved cognition in 3 out of 5 studies.

Conclusions: This evidence does not support a relationship between seafood intake during childhood and neurocognitive development. However, the evidence is inconclusive due to short-term RCTs, risk of bias concerns mainly due to confounding from PCSs, and homogenous populations.

Funding Sources: NASEM