Choline treatment helps children with fetal alcohol issues
Researchers found that choline supplementation provided lasting developmental benefits for young children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
Scientists at the University of Minnesota reassessed children five years after they received choline treatment or a placebo during earlier trials. These previous studies involved one hundred and four children diagnosed with various forms of the disorder.
Among the participants, eighty four completed the initial nine month trial while ninety four children were originally enrolled in the research project. Higher doses of the nutrient were linked to greater improvements in memory and recall abilities for the group.
Follow up testing showed that treated children had nonverbal IQ scores seven % higher than those who received the placebo treatment. Working memory scores were also nine % higher in the group that received the choline supplementation therapy.
The new findings suggest that this biological treatment can alter a child's neurodevelopmental path and boost mental skills over time. Future work must refine dosing and timing for better medical applications of this specific intervention.
“The findings point to a potentially scalable intervention for neurodevelopmental differences that currently have few treatment options.”