Healthy diet during pregnancy supports the child's motor development

The study also found that a healthier maternal diet in early pregnancy was associated with better motor development in the child, especially in gross motor skills at 5–6 years of age. A similar association was found between maternal fish consumption and the child's fine and gross motor skills. A healthy diet includes versatile foods, such as vegetables, fruit, rye bread and fish, which provide vitamins and minerals that are important for a child's development. Fish is also an important source of unsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids, which are needed for fetal brain development.

"It is likely that targeting prenatal nutrition guidance to mothers who are with overweight or obesity before pregnancy would benefit the mothers themselves, for example, by curbing excessive weight gain during pregnancy, while supporting their children's future motor development,” says Professor Kirsi Laitinen, who leads the Early Nutrition and Health Research Group at the University of Turku.