Choline to protect babies' brains when mothers drink heavily
Fetal Neuroprotection by choline supplementation in heavy drinking pregnant women
Pregnant women who drink heavily will take a choline supplement during pregnancy to help protect their babies' brain development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11163385 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be randomly assigned to take either a choline supplement or a placebo during pregnancy in a double-blind trial. The study plans to enroll 288 heavy-drinking pregnant women, mainly in the Western Cape region, and will follow infants through 12 months of age. Newborns will receive brain scans (anatomical MRI, diffusion imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy) to look at structure, connectivity, and brain energy metabolism. Researchers will compare infant growth, thinking skills, and brain imaging between the choline and placebo groups.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant women who are currently drinking heavily during pregnancy, especially those in the Western Cape region, are the intended participants.
Not a fit: Women who do not drink during pregnancy or whose infants' developmental issues come from other non-alcohol causes are unlikely to benefit from this choline intervention for alcohol-related effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, taking choline during pregnancy could reduce alcohol-related harm to babies' growth, thinking, and brain development.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier smaller studies showed high-dose maternal choline reduced some effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on infant growth, cognition, and brain measures, but this larger randomized trial will provide stronger evidence.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Van Der Kouwe, Andre Jan Willem — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Van Der Kouwe, Andre Jan Willem
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.