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"Nutrition Intake During Pregnancy Strongly Linked to Academic Performance"
Announced in New Zealand "First Study of Its Kind Worldwide"

A study has found that when pregnant mothers have insufficient nutritional intake, they give birth to children with lower academic achievement.

On the 6th (local time), New Zealand 1 News reported, "Researchers from AUT University in New Zealand have revealed a study showing that a mother's nutritional intake during pregnancy has a significant impact on her child's academic performance."

The researchers tracked and observed over 1,400 children of South Pacific Island descent born at a hospital in the southern Auckland region since 2000.

Dr. El-Shadon Tautolo stated, "We have been conducting interviews with the children every two years and have been tracking them over a long period. This type of study is the first of its kind worldwide."

He followed up 649 children whose mothers reported insufficient food intake during pregnancy after 17 years, and the results showed that their academic achievement was significantly lower compared to other children.

In particular, 10% of the study subjects failed to pass Level 1, the basic stage of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), New Zealand's academic qualification system for university entrance. Only 31% passed the highest level, Level 3, and just 22% succeeded in entering university.

The NCEA, administered by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) under the New Zealand government, is conducted annually for students in years 11 to 13, equivalent to the Korean high school curriculum. Grades are evaluated in four levels: 'Not Achieved,' 'Achieved,' 'Merit,' and 'Excellence.' Students must achieve at least 'Achieved' to earn credits for course completion.

Dr. Tautolo explained, "There may be various factors affecting school grades, but it is clear that there is a strong statistical correlation with nutritional intake during pregnancy."

He added, "Children born into households that cannot reliably provide food had lower academic achievement and faced greater difficulties in entering university compared to those born into households with stable food intake."

Furthermore, when mothers did not properly nourish themselves during pregnancy, their children showed negative effects on physical development, such as gaining more weight than other children by the age of 14.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.