{
  "id": 14077581,
  "title": "Choline supplementation in young children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder can have durable developmental benefits",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/choline-supplementation-in-young-children-with-fetal-alcohol-spectrum",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-13T00:40:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-choline-supplementation-young-children-fetal.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Children who experienced prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) showed lasting cognitive benefits after being given supplemental choline, according to a new study. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which affects 1%–5% of the global population, can cause physical, cognitive, and behavioral issues. Choline has been shown to support brain development in both animal models of PAE and human pregnancies involving alcohol exposure. Although there have been few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of FASD treatments, researchers at the University of Minnesota previously conducted three such studies involving choline supplementation in young children diagnosed with FASD. The new study in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research reassessed these children five years later, finding that those treated with choline continued to perform better on tests of certain cognitive functions compared to those who received a placebo. Specifically, children treated with choline had an average nonverbal IQ that was 7% higher and a 9% higher working memory score than those who received placebo. Higher doses of choline were associated with greater cognitive gains, but the follow-up assessment did not reveal differences in other measures of global cognitive function, memory, or parent-rated behavioral issues. The findings suggest that choline could be a valuable early treatment to alter a child's neurodevelopmental trajectory and improve their cognitive function over the long term.",
  "summary": "Children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) experience long-lasting cognitive gains after treatment with supplemental choline, an essential nutrient, a new study suggests. The findings point to a potentially scalable intervention for neurodevelopmental differences that currently have few treatment options. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term for several diagnoses…",
  "key_points": [
    "Children with FASD showed cognitive benefits from choline supplementation.",
    "Follow-up assessment five years later found lasting improvements.",
    "Higher doses of choline associated with greater cognitive gains."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Targeted choline supplementation offers a way to reshape the neurodevelopmental trajectory of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder by providing lasting improvements to specific cognitive functions.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}