Higher calcium intake during pregnancy leads to a lower risk of depressive symptoms among children, a Japanese research team has found.
While previous research has shown that increased calcium intake can help to prevent depression, the study is the first to examine the link between pregnant women and their children, according to the team led by an Ehime University researcher.
The team used data from a health study of mothers and their children in the Kyushu region in southwestern Japan and Okinawa, examining 873 pairs who participated in follow-up research when the children were 13 years old.
The calcium intake of the women during pregnancy was calculated based on a survey of their individual diets excluding supplements, according to the study published in May in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
The depressive symptoms of the 13-year-old children were determined according to the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, or CES-D, based on self-assessment. In the total range from 0 to 60, the team defined scores of 16 or above as indicating depressive symptoms.
The team analyzed data by dividing participants into four groups based on their calcium ingestion during pregnancy.
In the group with the lowest intake, 28 percent of the children showed depressive symptoms, compared with 18.7 percent in the group with the highest intake, the team said.
The median daily consumption of calcium by women in the group with the highest intake was around 675 milligrams, almost matching the recommended amount for women aged between 18 and 29.
“Calcium consumed by mothers is likely having an impact on the emotions of their children,” said Yoshihiro Miyake, a professor at Ehime University. “We were able to identify one factor causing depressive symptoms among children,” he said, while noting further research is required.
