Associations between infant growth and cognitive development: Insights from EEG functional connectivity and power spectral density

Malnutrition is a critical global health challenge, contributing to nearly half of child deaths under 5 and impairing physical and mental health, along with neural and cognitive development. Prior research has linked growth faltering to altered EEG functional connectivity (FC) and poorer cognitive outcomes, though findings varied across ages. This study (2022-2024) examined associations between nutritional status (approximated by growth z-scores) and brain development in 12-month-old Bangladeshi infants (N = 140; 80 males, 60 females) using EEG. Growth faltering was associated with reduced theta and alpha power, which related to cognitive delays. Power mediated the malnutrition-behavior associations. These findings underscore the potential of early nutritional and psychosocial interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of an inadequate growth environment on neurocognitive development.