Exploring links between stress, choline deficiency, preterm births, and mental illness
In two recent articles published in
Schizophrenia Bulletin, Sharon Hunter, PhD, an associate professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, and M. Camille Hoffman, MD, MSc, an associate professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, along with their research group, have uncovered a potential link between choline deficiency in Black pregnant women in the United States and increased risk of developmental and behavioral issues that can evolve into mental illness later in their children's lives.
The first article, published in November 2020, is a study, titled, "Black American Maternal Prenatal Choline, Offspring Gestational Age at Birth, and Developmental Predisposition to Mental Illness." The second, published last month and titled "Targeting Treatments to Health Disparities," is a follow-up article delving more deeply into known healthcare disparities highlighted by the study results.