Maternal iodine plays a central role in fetal neurodevelopment. It is recommended that pregnant women consume sufficient levels of iodine to accommodate increased need for mother and fetus. We examined associations among prenatal dietary and supplemental iodine intake and infant temperament.

The PRogramming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM) study is an ongoing longitudinal pregnancy cohort. Data from 2011 to 2020 were used for this study. Women completed the Block98 FFQ ascertaining prenatal dietary and supplemental iodine intake and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised at infant age 6 months to ascertain infant temperament (Surgency/Extraversion, Negative Affectivity and Orienting/Regulation).

USA.

Mother–child dyads (n 892).

Women were primarily Black/Hispanic Black (44 %) and non-Black Hispanic (35 %) with 46 % reporting household income < $25 000/year. Nearly half had an estimated average requirement (EAR) < 160 µg/d (49 % based on dietary intake; 43 % based on diet and supplements). Girls born to women with an EAR ≥ 160 µg/d compared to girls born to women below this level had higher unadjusted extraversion scores for dietary plus supplemental intake (β = 0·23 (0·13, 0·33)); decreased to β = 0·05 (–0·08, 0·19) after adjusting for covariates. Boys born to women with an EAR ≥ 160 µg/d (based on diet and supplements) as compared to boys born to women below this level had statistically non-significant higher unadjusted negative affective score (β = 0·06 (–0·08, 0·20)) that became significantly lower upon covariate adjustment (β = –1·66 (–1·97, –1·35)).

A significant proportion of these women reported suboptimal prenatal iodine intake. Suboptimal prenatal iodine intake may have implications for child neurodevelopment evident as early as infancy.

To assess sociodemographic correlates of micronutrient intakes from food and dietary supplements in an urban, ethnically diverse sample of pregnant women in the USA.

Cross-sectional analyses of data collected using a validated semi-quantitative FFQ. Associations between racial, ethnic and sociodemographic factors and micronutrient intakes were examined using logistic regression controlling for pre-pregnancy BMI, maternal age and smoking status.

Prenatal clinics, Boston, MA, USA.

Analyses included pregnant women (n 274) in the PRogramming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM) study, an urban longitudinal cohort designed to examine how stress influences respiratory health in children when controlling for other environmental exposures (chemical stressors, nutrition).

High frequencies of vitamin E (52 %), Mg (38 %), Fe (57 %) and vitamin D (77 %) inadequacies as well as suboptimal intakes of choline (95 %) and K (99 %) were observed. Factors associated with multiple antioxidant inadequacies included being Hispanic or African American, lower education and self-reported economic-related food insecurity. Hispanics had a higher prevalence of multiple methyl-nutrient inadequacies compared with African Americans; both had suboptimal betaine intakes and higher odds for vitamin B6 and Fe inadequacies compared with Caucasians. Nearly all women (98 %) reported Na intakes above the tolerable upper limit; excessive intakes of Mg (35 %), folate (37 %) and niacin (38 %) were also observed. Women reporting excessive intakes of these nutrients were more likely Caucasian or Hispanic, more highly educated, US-born and did not report food insecurity.

Racial/ethnic and other sociodemographic factors should be considered when tailoring periconceptional dietary interventions for urban ethnic women in the USA.