Nutritional status also can affect cognitive development throughout childhood (Bryan et al. 2004). Recent studies have examined the nutritional intake of children with FASD. Based on their dietary habits, many children with FASD are not consuming adequate or daily-recommended amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and choline (figure 5A) (Fuglestad et al 2013; Werts et al. 2014). Although these studies have some limitations—including low sample sizes, comparison with national data rather than a local control group, and relying on self-reports—they do indicate that individuals with FASD ingest inadequate levels of certain nutrients and therefore may benefit from nutrient supplementation. In rodent models, administering these micronutrients during or shortly following developmental alcohol exposure significantly mitigated ethanol-induced impairments on brain and behavior (figure 5B) (Idrus and Thomas 2011; Patten et al. 2013b). For example, animal models have shown that choline can attenuate ethanol’s adverse effects on both brain and behavioral development when administered postnatally, long after alcohol exposure has ceased (Ryan et al. 2008).
