Maternal Vitamin K Intake Linked to Better Early Cognitive Development
A study led by Prof. Mònica Bulló (Nutrition and Metabolic Health Group-TecnATox URV) in collaboration with Dr. Jordi Júlvez (NeuroÈpia-IISPV) and researchers from ISGlobal, reveals that higher maternal intake of vitamin K during pregnancy may contribute to better cognitive and motor development in early childhood.
Published in Pediatric Research, this is the first study to examine the link between maternal vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) intake and neurocognitive outcomes in children, using data from 1,080 mother-child pairs in the Barcelona Life Study Cohort (BiSC). The findings show that children of mothers with higher vitamin K intake displayed superior global development, particularly in cognitive, motor, and language abilities.
While vitamin K is best known for its role in blood coagulation, it also contributes to glucose metabolism, antioxidant defense, and inflammation regulation, mechanisms that may be relevant for brain development.
Following the interdisciplinary spirit of TecnATox, this study integrates expertise from nutrition, metabolism, epidemiology, and neuroscience to explore how maternal diet can shape brain development during pregnancy and early life.
Although the results are observational and do not establish causality, they open new avenues for future nutritional recommendations for pregnant women, aiming to promote optimal cognitive development in early childhood.
Reference: Mateu-Fabregat, J., Panisello, L., Novau-Ferré, N. et al. (2025). Maternal dietary phylloquinone intake (vitamin K1) and early childhood neurodevelopment. Pediatric Research. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-04543-7
Share
