HHS HealthBeat (September 15, 2008)

Better fed babies, better thinking adults

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A well-nourished youngster seems more likely to grow into a smarter adult. Emory University researcher Aryeh Stein found signs of that in Guatemala.

Stein followed village children who received atole, a nutritious food supplement, in infancy. He compared their mental abilities as adults with the abilities of villagers who had not gotten the supplement or who had gotten it at other ages.

``Children who received atole, 30 years later, scored better on a wide range of tests of cognitive functioning.’’ (9 seconds)

Stein says the finding is another reason to make sure kids are not undernourished. He notes, though, American children’s problems are more likely to be eating too much.

The study in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: September, 15 2008