The study, led by Ruiqi Cen from the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, examined data from one of the largest birth defect surveillance systems in the United States.
Congenital heart defects remain among the most common and serious birth anomalies globally, and identifying modifiable maternal risk factors is a major public health priority. Myo-inositol, a naturally occurring nutrient found in foods and widely available in supplements, has drawn scientific interest in recent years due to its potential role in embryonic development. However, its association with CHD risk in humans has been unclear until now.
To explore this relationship, the researchers analyzed information from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), focusing on women whose myo-inositol intake could be assessed from both diet and supplement use. The study included 11,752 cases—pregnancies affected by one of several nonsyndromic CHDs—and 11,415 control pregnancies without major birth defects. The periconceptional period, defined as three months before conception through the third month of pregnancy, served as the exposure window.
Using detailed questionnaires and a shortened food-frequency assessment, the team quantified myo-inositol intake and applied logistic regression models to determine associations with CHD risk.
Key Findings:
- Women who reported using myo-inositol supplements had significantly lower odds of having a pregnancy affected by the selected congenital heart defects compared with non-users.
- Supplemental myo-inositol intake was associated with a 21% reduction in overall CHD risk.
- The protective effect was even stronger for septal defects, with odds reduced by nearly 40% among supplement users.
- When total intake from both dietary sources and supplements was assessed, the protective pattern remained consistent.
- Women consuming 500 mg/day or more of myo-inositol had lower odds of multiple major CHD categories, including conotruncal defects, left and right ventricular outflow tract defects, and atrial septal defects.
- The degree of risk reduction varied across defect types but remained statistically significant in all evaluated categories.
According to the authors, these findings point to a modest but meaningful inverse association between maternal myo-inositol levels during early pregnancy and the risk of selected congenital heart defects. While the study is the first large-scale human analysis to investigate this link, the researchers emphasize the need for further studies to confirm the results. They note that additional research, particularly prospective studies, could help determine whether increasing maternal intake of myo-inositol may offer a practical dietary strategy to lower CHD risk.
"If validated, such evidence could have important implications for maternal nutrition guidelines and public health interventions aimed at reducing the substantial burden of congenital heart disease worldwide," the authors concluded.
Reference:
Cen, R., Su, L. J., Ying, J., Orloff, M. S., Bolin, E. H., Lou, X., Almli, L. M., Botto, L. D., Browne, M. L., Finnell, R. H., Jenkins, M. M., Nestoridi, E., Olshan, A. F., Romitti, P. A., Shaw, G. M., & Nembhard, W. N. Maternal Myo-Inositol Intake and Congenital Heart Defects in Offspring: A Population-Based Case–Control Study. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.70045
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