The researchers studied data collected from healthy children between one and two years of age in Metro Vancouver who were part of a randomized control trial led by Dr. Innis investigating the effects of a long chain fatty acid supplement. As part of the study, the caregivers filled out detailed food records for the children and researchers collected blood samples and conducted assessments of cognitive development.
“One of the reasons we know so little about toddler nutrition is that it’s very difficult to get samples from healthy kids,” says Dr. Devlin. “The data collected during the fatty acid trial led by Dr. Innis is incredibly valuable and in this case, we were able to use it to study another nutrient, making the most of the investment these families made in research.”
Dr. Wiedeman put the information from the food records into specialized software to determine how much choline the toddlers had ingested. Researchers also tested blood samples from the children for biomarkers – measurable substances in the blood – that are thought to indicate how much choline is present.
The researchers discovered that 71.8 per cent of toddlers at one year of age and 55.8 per cent of toddlers at two years of age were not meeting adequate intake levels for choline.
The researchers also found that the biomarkers in blood used to measure choline levels do not match up with the dietary intake from the food diaries. This suggests the need for additional research to find a more accurate test that will reflect dietary choline intake.
Although researchers can’t yet tell parents with certainty how much choline toddlers need to eat, they do know that choline is an important nutrient for health and development.
“Parents should offer toddlers choline-rich foods like eggs and dairy products, and try to ensure young children are exposed to a wide variety of foods,” Dr. Wiedeman.
“Good nutrition fuels healthy development and the consequences of poor nutrition in toddlers can last a lifetime,” says Dr. Devlin. “We want to be able to give parents and caregivers the best information possible about how to ensure children get the nutrients they need. To do that, we need to continue with studies like this one, which examine key nutrients directly in young children.”
Key Collaborators
In addition to Dr. Wiedeman, Dr. Devlin and Dr. Innis, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute-affiliated study authors include:
- Dr. Ruth Grunau: Investigator, BC Children’s Hospital; Professor, UBC Department of Pediatrics
- Roger Dyer: Laboratory Manager, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
- Cecil Chau: Research Assistant, Grunau Lab
All studies involving human participants are subjected to the rigorous review of the UBC Children’s & Women’s Research Ethics Board. Learn more here.
This research was made possible by support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada, Becas-Chile, DSM Nutritional Products, and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.