资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

BACKGROUND: In older adults, selenium status has been positively associated with cognitive function. We recently reported a positive association between maternal selenium status in pregnancy and children's cognitive function at 1.5 y.

OBJECTIVE: We followed up the children to assess if prenatal and childhood selenium status was associated with cognitive abilities at 5 and 10 y.

METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study was nested in Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab (MINIMat), a population-based, randomized supplementation trial in pregnancy in rural Bangladesh. Selenium in maternal blood [erythrocyte fraction (Ery-Se) at baseline] and in child hair and urine was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Children's cognition at 5 and 10 y was assessed using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (TM) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (R), respectively. In total, 1,408 children were included.

RESULTS: Multivariable-adjusted linear regression analyses showed that prenatal selenium status was positively associated with children's cognitive function at 5 and 10 y. An increase in maternal Ery-Se from the fifth to the 95th percentile [median: 0.44 mu g/g hemoglobin (Hb)] was associated with an increase in full developmental score of 3.5 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.1, 7.0], corresponding to 0.16 standard deviation (SD) at 5 y, and 8.1 (95% CI: 3.8, 13), corresponding to 0.24 SD at 10 y. In addition, urine and hair selenium concentrations at 5 and 10 y of age were positively associated with cognitive function at 10 y, although associations were inverse for concentrations >= 98th percentile. Some associations were slightly stronger for girls than for boys.

CONCLUSIONS: Measures of prenatal and childhood (below the 98th percentile) selenium status were associated with higher cognitive function scores at 5 and 10 y of age.