Observational research has suggested that early-life nutrition may play a critical role in shaping cognitive development, yet evidence linking specific dietary patterns in toddlerhood to later cognitive outcomes remains limited. To address this gap, a study characterized dietary patterns at age 2 and examined their association with cognitive performance at ages 6–7 in a cohort of 4,275 children. The study found that higher adherence to an unhealthy dietary pattern (characterised by packaged snacks, instant noodles, sweet biscuits, sweets and candies, soft drinks, sausages and processed meats) was significantly associated with lower IQ scores.
Exploratory analyses showed a significant interaction with early-life growth deficits. Children with high adherence to this pattern and early-life deficits demonstrated a 4.78-point reduction in IQ, while those without deficits showed a 2.24-point…
