Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40374262›Full record

SynthesisAdvances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)2025

Seafood During Pregnancy and Lactation and Child Neurocognitive Development: A Systematic Review.

Lauren E O'Connor, Maureen K Spill, Sanjoy Saha, Arin A Balalian, Julie S Davis, Amanda J MacFarlane

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Lauren E O'ConnorTexas A&M Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Evidence Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
Maureen K SpillTexas A&M Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Evidence Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Electronic address: Maureen.spill@ag.tamu.edu.
Sanjoy SahaTexas A&M Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Evidence Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
Arin A BalalianTexas A&M Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Evidence Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
Julie S DavisTexas A&M Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Evidence Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
Amanda J MacFarlaneTexas A&M Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Evidence Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAssessing seafood as a food group, rather than as a source of omega-3 fatty acids or contaminants, may better inform dietary guidance for pregnancy and lactation.

objectivesThis study aims to assess relationships between seafood consumption during pregnancy and lactation and neurocognitive development in the child.

methodsThree electronic databases were searched up to September 2024 to update a previous search from 2000 to 2019. Articles were included if seafood intake during pregnancy or lactation and a child outcome was assessed [neurocognitive development including cognitive, social-emotional, behavioral, movement/physical, language/communication, and aggregate scores as well as depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)]. Articles were screened at title, abstract, and full-text levels independently by 2 analysts. Data were extracted, quality checked, and synthesized narratively considering the direction, magnitude, and statistical significance of results. The risk of bias was assessed using study design-specific tools. Certainty of evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluations.

resultsForty articles [1 randomized controlled trial (RCT), 24 prospective cohorts, and 1 retrospective cohort] during pregnancy were identified; none for lactation. Evidence suggested relationships between higher seafood consumption and better social-emotional and behavioral development in children and adolescents aged 0-18 y as well as better aggregate scores of development for those <4 y. The certainty of the evidence was very low to moderate due to the lack of RCTs. Evidence for overall cognitive development was inconsistent but higher seafood may be related to better attention, reasoning and problem-solving, and verbal intelligence. However, evidence was limited in the number of studies and ages assessed. Evidence was inconsistent for movement/physical and language/communication development, and a paucity of studies was found for ADHD and ASD.

conclusionsSeafood consumption within currently recommended amounts during pregnancy may be associated with better social-emotional, behavioral, and aggregate scores of development in the child, as well as potentially some aspects of cognitive development. This study was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42023432844.

Indexed as

Child DevelopmentCognitionLactationMaternal Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaSeafoodAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolDietFemaleHumansInfantMalePregnancyadolescencechildhoodfishinfants and toddlersomega-3 fatty acidsshellfish

Identifiers

PMID40374262
PMCPMC12145083

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.