Insufficient Nutrition During Pregnancy Can Lead to Lower Academic Achievement in Children
Research Shows University Enrollment Rate is Only Around 20%
A recent study reveals that insufficient nutritional intake during pregnancy can lead to lower academic achievement in children.
Recently, New Zealand’s 1 News unveiled a study conducted by researchers at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
The researchers tracked and observed 1,400 children of Pacific Islander descent born in the southern region of Auckland since 2000. The results showed that a mother’s nutritional intake during pregnancy significantly influences her child’s academic performance.
According to the study, the 657 children born to mothers who reported not eating enough food during pregnancy significantly underperformed compared to other children.
Specifically, 10% of these children failed to pass even the first level of New Zealand’s university entrance examination system, ‘NCEA.’ Only about 31% managed to pass the highest level, level 3, and the university admission rate was a mere 22%.
The researchers suggested that children from families who cannot consistently consume food perform academically worse than children from families who can maintain a stable diet.
The research team explained, “There can be various factors affecting school grades, but it’s clear that a steady increase in food intake during pregnancy has a strong statistical correlation with children’s academic performance.”
Furthermore, it was reported that children born to mothers with insufficient nutritional intake during pregnancy tend to gain more weight and suffer negative impacts on their physical development compared to other children.
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