Prenatal Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation and Infant Morbidity: Randomized Controlled Trial
Pediatrics, 09/08/2011
Imhoff–Kunsch B et al. – Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy decreased the occurrence of colds in children at 1 month and influenced illness symptom duration at 1, 3, and 6 months.
Methods- In a double-blind randomized controlled trial conducted in Mexico, pregnant women received daily supplementation with 400 mg of DHA or placebo from 18 to 22 weeks' gestation through parturition.
- In infants aged 1, 3, and 6 months, caregivers reported the occurrence of common illness symptoms in the preceding 15 days.
- Data were available at 1, 3, and 6 months for 849, 834, and 834 infants, respectively.
- The occurrence of specific illness symptoms did not differ between groups; however, the occurrence of a combined measure of cold symptoms was lower in the DHA group at 1 month. At 1 month, the DHA group experienced 26%, 15%, and 30% shorter duration of cough, phlegm, and wheezing, respectively, but 22% longer duration of rash.
- At 3 months, infants in the DHA group spent 14% less time ill.
- At 6 months, infants in the DHA group experienced 20%, 13%, 54%, 23%, and 25% shorter duration of fever, nasal secretion, difficulty breathing, rash, and “other illness,” respectively, but 74% longer duration of vomiting.
