Choline


Article Body

Choline: Why it is Important for Moms and Kids

When women are pregnant or thinking about having a baby, eating the right foods is really important for their health and the baby's growth. Choline is a special nutrient that helps both the baby and the mom stay healthy. It helps regulate mood, memory, and muscle control as well as proper fetal development. Let's learn more about this special vitamin.

Foods with Choline

  • Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy
  • Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower
  • Potatoes
  • Some whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans

WIC eligible foods that contain choline include eggs, milk, yogurt, and vegetables such as brussels sprouts, broccoli, potatoes, and cauliflower.

Multivitamins do not typically contain choline, and prenatal supplements typically contain very little to no choline, so getting enough through the diet is very important.

Pregnancy

Before a woman gets pregnant, it's important for her to have enough choline in her diet. Choline helps the baby's spinal cord develop early on, which can lower the chance of certain birth defects like spina bifida. So, women who are thinking about getting pregnant should try to eat foods with lots of choline.

When a woman is pregnant, her body needs more choline than before. Choline is important for helping the baby's brain and nerves grow well, which is crucial for thinking and remembering things later. Having enough choline during pregnancy also helps lower the chance of certain birth defects and developmental issues in babies.

Moms-to-be should try to eat foods with about 450 milligrams of choline every day. This can come from eating a variety of healthy foods or taking prenatal vitamins, with advice from a doctor or other medical professional.

After Giving Birth

After having a baby, choline is still really important. It helps moms recover after giving birth and helps babies grow strong and healthy. Moms who breastfeed should eat foods with lots of choline to stay healthy and give their babies the right nutrients through their breast milk.

While breastfeeding, it's best to try to aim for about 550 milligrams each day. Choline helps babies' brains and nerves develop well, which is important for thinking and staying healthy. Even if moms don't breastfeed, they should still make sure to get enough choline to stay healthy for themselves and for any future pregnancies they might have.

How much choline is needed?

The National Institute for Health suggests:

  • Children 1-3 years: 200 mg
  • Children 4-8 years: 250 mg
  • Children 9-13 years: 375 mg
  • Teen boys 14-18 years: 550 mg
  • Teen girls 14-18 years: 400 mg
  • Pregnant teens and women: 450 mg
  • Breastfeeding teens and women: 550 mg

Tips

  1. Eat foods high in choline: Try to have foods like eggs, lean meats, chicken, fish, milk, beans, and vegetables like broccoli. These foods are packed with choline.
  2. Take prenatal vitamins: If you're pregnant, taking vitamins made for pregnant women can help you get enough choline. Be sure to check the food label to make sure the vitamin has choline! Ask your doctor if you need them.
  3. Talk to your doctor: It's important to talk to your doctor or the WIC dietitian about what foods are best for you and your family. They can help make a plan just for you to stay healthy.

Overall, choline is really important for moms-to-be, babies, and little kids as they grow up. By knowing why choline matters and picking the right foods, families can make sure they're eating well to stay healthy and help their kids grow strong.

References
  1. Brown Judith. Nutrition Through the Life Cycle. Cengage. 2020. Seventh edition. ISBN: 978-1-337-91933-3
  2. Jaiswal, A., Dewani, D., Reddy, L. S., & Patel, A. (2023). Choline Supplementation in Pregnancy: Current Evidence and Implications. Cureus, 15(11), e48538. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.48538
  3. Korsmo, H. W., Jiang, X., & Caudill, M. A. (2019). Choline: exploring the growing science on its benefits for moms and babies. Nutrients, 11(8), 1823.
  4. Obeid, R., Derbyshire, E., & Schön, C. (2022). Association between maternal choline, fetal brain development, and child neurocognition: systematic review and meta-analysis of human studies. Advances in Nutrition, 13(6), 2445-2457.
  5. Rojhani, A., Ouyang, P., Gullon-Rivera, A., & Dale, T. M. (2021). Dietary quality of pregnant women participating in the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 8370.
  6. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-Consumer/
  7. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/choline/
  8. https://wicworks.fns.usda.gov/resources/eye-nutrition-choline