Vitamin C supplementation during pregnancy linked to lower infant irritability

A study involving 302 pregnant women suggests that higher intake of vitamin C supplements during pregnancy may be associated with lower levels of irritability in infants at six months of age.

The research examined the connection between maternal psychological well-being and infant emotional responses. Findings indicated that women reporting higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress tended to have infants with more negative emotional reactions and generally consumed fewer vitamin C supplements. While vitamin C supplementation may partially explain the link between maternal distress and infant irritability, researchers noted this contribution was limited.

Notably, vitamin C intake through food did not show a similar correlation with infant emotional states. The study does not definitively prove that vitamin C supplements directly cause changes in infant behavior. Because the human body cannot produce vitamin C, the fetus relies entirely on the mother via umbilical cord blood. Animal studies have previously shown that maternal vitamin C deficiency can lead to a smaller hippocampus in offspring, an area of the brain critical for memory.