Mindfulness Meditation Improves Visual Short-Term Memory.

Research into the effects of mindfulness meditation on behavioral outcomes has received much interest in recent years, with benefits for both short-term memory and working memory identified. However, little research has considered the potential effects of brief mindfulness meditation interventions or the nature of any benefits for visual short-term memory. Here, we investigate the effect of a single, 8-minute mindfulness meditation intervention, presented via audio recording, on a short-term memory task for faces. In comparison with two control groups (listening to an audiobook or simply passing the time however they wished), our mindfulness meditation participants showed greater increases in visual short-term memory capacity from pre- to post-intervention. In addition, only mindfulness meditation resulted in significant increases in performance. In conclusion, a single, brief mindfulness meditation intervention led to improvements in visual short-term memory capacity for faces, with important implications regarding the minimum intervention necessary to produce measurable changes in short-term memory tasks.

Consequences of prenatal geophagy for maternal prenatal health, risk of childhood geophagy and child psychomotor development.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between prenatal geophagy, maternal prenatal haematological indices, malaria, helminth infections and cognitive and motor development among offspring. METHODS: At least a year after delivery, 552 of 863 HIV-negative mothers with singleton births who completed a clinical trial comparing the efficacy of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and mefloquine during pregnancy in Allada, Benin, responded to a nutrition questionnaire including their geophagous habits during pregnancy. During the clinical trial, helminth infection, malaria, haemoglobin and ferritin concentrations were assessed at 1st and 2nd antenatal care visits (ANV) and at delivery. After the first ANV, women were administered daily iron and folic acid supplements until three what? post-delivery. Singleton children were assessed for cognitive function at age 1 year using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. RESULTS: The prevalence of geophagy during pregnancy was 31.9%. Pregnant women reporting geophagy were more likely to be anaemic (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI [1.1, 3.4]) at their first ANV if they reported geophagy at the first trimester. Overall, prenatal geophagy was not associated with maternal haematological indices, malaria or helminth infections, but geophagy during the third trimester and throughout pregnancy was associated with poor motor function (AOR = -3.8, 95% CI [-6.9, -0.6]) and increased odds of geophagous behaviour in early childhood, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal geophagy is not associated with haematological indices in the presence of micronutrient supplementation. However, it may be associated with poor child motor function and infant geophagy. Geophagy should be screened early in pregnancy.

Prenatal Iron Deficiency, Neonatal Ferritin, and Infant Cognitive Function.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of prenatal maternal iron deficiency (ID) on cord blood serum ferritin (CBSF) concentration and infant cognitive and motor development. METHODS: Our prospective cohort study included 636 mother-singleton child pairs from 828 eligible pregnant women who were enrolled during their first antenatal care (ANC) visit in Allada, Benin, into a clinical trial comparing the efficacy of mefloquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Venous blood samples of women were assessed for ferritin and hemoglobin concentrations at the first and second ANC visits (occurring at least 1-month apart) and at delivery. Women were prescribed daily iron and folic acid supplements throughout pregnancy. Hematologic examinations were repeated for cord blood at birth. At age 1 year, cognitive and motor functions of children were assessed by using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. RESULTS: The prevalence of prenatal ID at first and second ANC visits, and at delivery was 30.5%, 34.0%, and 28.4%, respectively. CBSF concentrations were similar between ID and non-ID pregnant women. Neither prenatal ID nor CBSF concentration was associated with poor cognitive or gross motor function of children at age 1 year. CBSF concentrations were lower among mothers who had ID anemia (IDA) at delivery compared with non-IDA pregnant women (adjusted mean difference: -0.2 [95% confidence interval: -0.4 to -0.0]). CONCLUSIONS: In a malaria-endemic region, ID in pregnancy in the context of iron supplementation is neither associated with CBSF concentration nor with infant cognitive and motor development. Prenatal IDA around the time of delivery is associated with lower CBSF concentrations.