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Shahabi B, Hernández-Martínez C, Voltas N, Canals J, Arija V. The Maternal Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Concentration in Early Pregnancy and Infant Neurodevelopment: The ECLIPSES Study. Nutrients 2024; 16:687. [PMID: 38474815 DOI: 10.3390/nu16050687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 LCPUFAs) play a key role in early neurodevelopment, but evidence from observational and clinical studies remains inconsistent. This study investigates the association between maternal n-3 LCPUFA, Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) concentrations during pregnancy and infant development functioning at 40 days. This study includes 348 mother-infant pairs. Maternal serum concentrations were assessed in the first and third trimesters alongside sociodemographic, clinical, nutritional, psychological, and obstetrical data. At 40 days, the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III) was administered. An adjusted analysis revealed that lower first-trimester n-3 LCPUFA and DHA concentrations are associated with better infant motor development. These results underscore the potential significance of the maternal n-3 LCPUFA status in early pregnancy for influencing fetal neurodevelopment. However, the complexity of these associations necessitates further investigation, emphasizing the urgent need for additional studies to comprehensively elucidate the nuanced interplay between the maternal n-3 LCPUFA status and infant neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnaz Shahabi
- Research Group in Nutrition and Mental Health (NUTRISAM), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
- Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research (IISPV), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
| | - Carmen Hernández-Martínez
- Research Group in Nutrition and Mental Health (NUTRISAM), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
- Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research (IISPV), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
- Research Center for Behavioral Assessment (CRAMC), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43003 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Núria Voltas
- Research Group in Nutrition and Mental Health (NUTRISAM), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
- Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research (IISPV), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
- Research Center for Behavioral Assessment (CRAMC), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43003 Tarragona, Spain
- Serra Húnter Fellow, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education Sciences and Psychology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Josefa Canals
- Research Group in Nutrition and Mental Health (NUTRISAM), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
- Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research (IISPV), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
- Research Center for Behavioral Assessment (CRAMC), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43003 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Victoria Arija
- Research Group in Nutrition and Mental Health (NUTRISAM), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
- Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research (IISPV), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
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van der Wurff ISM, von Schacky C, Bergeland T, Zeegers MP, Kirschner PA, de Groot RHM. Krill oil supplementation's effect on school grades in typically developing adolescents. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2023; 191:102553. [PMID: 36878083 DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2023.102553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are important for brain development and functioning and with that, possibly school performance. Several cross-sectional studies have shown significant positive associations between fish consumption, an important source of LCPUFA and school grades in adolescents. The effect of LCPUFA supplementation on school grades in adolescents has not been investigated yet. The goal of the current study was to investigate (I) the associations between the Omega-3 Index (O3I) at baseline and after 12 months respectively and school grades and (II) the effect of one year krill oil supplementation (source of LCPUFA) on school grades in adolescents with a low O3I at baseline. A double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial with repeated measurements was executed. Participants received either 400 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day for the first three months in Cohort 1 and the nine months thereafter 800 mg EPA + DHA per day, Cohort 2 started immediately with 800 mg EPA + DHA per day,or a placebo. The O3I was monitored with a finger prick at baseline, three, six and twelve months. Subject grades for English, Dutch and math were collected, a standardised mathematics test was executed at baseline and at 12 months. Data was analysed with (I) explorative linear regressions to investigate associations at baseline and follow-up and (II) mixed model analyses separately for each of the subject grades and the standardised mathematics test to investigate the effect of supplementation after 12 months. The krill oil group had a small significant increase in the mean O3I at all time points. However, very few participants achieved the intended target O3I range of 8-11%. At baseline a significant association between baseline O3I and English grade was show, additionally a trend for an association with Dutch grade was shown. After 12 months no significant associations were found. Additionally, there was no significant effect of krill oil supplementation on subject grades or standardised mathematics test score. In this study, no significant effect of krill oil supplementation on subject grades or standardised mathematics test performance was found. However, as many participants dropped out and/or were non-adherent, results should be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inge S M van der Wurff
- Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Open Univerity of the Netherlands, 6419 AT Heerlen, the Netherlands.
| | - Clemens von Schacky
- Omegametrix, 82 152 Martinsried, Germany; Preventive Cardiology, Medical Clinic and Poli-Clinic I, Ludwig Maximilians-University Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Trygve Bergeland
- former employee of Aker BioMarine Antarctic AS, NO-1327 Lysaker, Norway
| | - Maurice P Zeegers
- Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (School NUTRIM), Maastricht University,6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands; Care and Public Health Research Institute (School CAPHRI), Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Paul A Kirschner
- Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Open Univerity of the Netherlands, 6419 AT Heerlen, the Netherlands; Expertise Centre Effective Learning (ExCEL), Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Renate H M de Groot
- Conditions for Lifelong Learning, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, 6419 AT Heerlen, the Netherlands
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Cheatham CL. Nutritional Factors in Fetal and Infant Brain Development. ANNALS OF NUTRITION AND METABOLISM 2020; 75 Suppl 1:20-32. [PMID: 32564018 DOI: 10.1159/000508052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Fetal and infant brain development determine the trajectory of the organism across the lifespan. Optimal maternal and infant nutrition during the period of rapid brain development is vital to the integrity of the neural substrate for subsequent lifelong functions. The goal of this review is to educate the reader on the effects of fetal and infant nutrition on the developing human brain. A review of the literature reveals 6 nutrients that have been studied with respect to maternal nutrition and subsequent offspring brain development: folate, iodine, iron, vitamin D, choline, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3). The research is discussed with a focus on the timing of nutrient needs (preconception, prenatally, and postnatally) as well as potential confounding and unobserved variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol L Cheatham
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA,
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Colombo J, Shaddy DJ, Gustafson K, Gajewski BJ, Thodosoff JM, Kerling E, Carlson SE. The Kansas University DHA Outcomes Study (KUDOS) clinical trial: long-term behavioral follow-up of the effects of prenatal DHA supplementation. Am J Clin Nutr 2019; 109:1380-1392. [PMID: 31004139 PMCID: PMC6499507 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid that has been linked to improved vision and cognition in postnatal feeding studies and has been consistently associated with reduction of early preterm birth in prenatal supplementation trials. This is a report of the first long-term follow-up of infants from mothers receiving prenatal DHA supplementation in a US cohort. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of the prenatal supplementation on both global and granular longitudinal assessments of cognitive and behavioral development. METHODS In a randomized double-blind clinical trial, mothers received either 600 mg/d of DHA or a placebo beginning at 14.5 weeks of gestation and capsules were provided until delivery. Children from those pregnancies were followed by cognitive and behavioral assessments administered from 10 mo through 6 y of age. From 301 mothers in the initial study, ∼200 infants completed the longitudinal schedule. RESULTS Although this intervention had been shown to reduce high-risk pregnancies and improve visual attention in infants during the first year, only a few positive long-term effects of prenatal DHA supplementation emerged from analyses of this follow-up. Increases in maternal blood DHA during pregnancy were related to verbal and full scale intelligence quotient (IQ) scores at 5 and 6 y, but these effects disappeared after controlling for SES. Maternal blood DHA concentrations at delivery were unrelated to outcomes, although maternal DHA at enrollment was related to productive vocabulary at 18 mo. CONCLUSIONS Although prenatal DHA supplementation substantially reduced early preterm birth and improved visual attention in infancy in this sample, no consistent long-term benefits were observed into childhood. Increases in maternal blood DHA concentration in pregnancy were related to higher IQs but this effect was confounded with SES and disappeared when SES was statistically controlled. This trial was registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00266825 and NCT02487771.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Colombo
- Department of Psychology and Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
| | - D Jill Shaddy
- Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Kathleen Gustafson
- Hoglund Brain Imaging Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Byron J Gajewski
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Jocelynn M Thodosoff
- Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Elizabeth Kerling
- Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Susan E Carlson
- Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
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Khandelwal S, Verma G, Shaikh NI, Siegel KR, Soni D, Soni D, Thow AM. Mapping of Policies Related to Fruits and Vegetables Accessibility in India. JOURNAL OF HUNGER & ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/19320248.2019.1595254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Khandelwal
- Department of Nutrition, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India
| | - Garima Verma
- Department of Nutrition, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India
| | - Nida I. Shaikh
- Doctoral Program in Nutrition and Health Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Fogarty Global Health Fellow, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, USA
| | - Karen R. Siegel
- Doctoral Program in Nutrition and Health Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Divya Soni
- Department of Nutrition, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India
| | - Deepa Soni
- Department of Nutrition, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India
| | - Anne-Marie Thow
- Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Fetal DHA inadequacy and the impact on child neurodevelopment: a follow-up of a randomised trial of maternal DHA supplementation in pregnancy. Br J Nutr 2018; 119:271-279. [PMID: 29316994 DOI: 10.1017/s0007114517003531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
DHA is an important component of neural lipids accumulating in neural tissue during development. Inadequate DHA in gestation may compromise infant development, but it is unknown whether there are lasting effects. We sought to determine whether the observed effects of fetal DHA inadequacy on infant development persist into early childhood. This follow-up study assessed children (5-6 years) whose mothers received 400 mg/d DHA or a placebo during pregnancy. Child neurodevelopment was assessed with several age-appropriate tests including the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. A risk-reduction model was used whereby the odds that a child from the maternal placebo group would fail to achieve a test score in the top quartile was calculated. The association of maternal DHA intake and status in gestation with child test scores, as well as with child DHA intake and status, was also determined. No differences were detected in children (n 98) from the maternal placebo and DHA groups achieving a high neurodevelopment test score (P>0·05). However, maternal DHA status was positively related to child performance on some tests including language and short-term memory. Furthermore, child DHA intake and status were related to the mother's intake and status in gestation. The neurodevelopment effects of fetal DHA inadequacy may have been lost or masked by other variables in the children. Although we provide evidence that maternal DHA status is related to child cognitive performance, the association of maternal and child DHA intake and status limits the interpretation of whether DHA before or after birth is important.
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Brouwer-Brolsma EM, van de Rest O, Godschalk R, Zeegers MPA, Gielen M, de Groot RHM. Associations between maternal long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations and child cognition at 7 years of age: The MEFAB birth cohort. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2017; 126:92-97. [PMID: 29031402 DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Concentrations of the fish fatty acids EPA and DHA are low among Dutch women of reproductive age. As the human brain incorporates high concentrations of these fatty acids in utero, particularly during third trimester of gestation, these low EPA and DHA concentrations may have adverse consequences for fetal brain development and functioning. METHODS Analyses were conducted using longitudinal observational data of 292 mother-child pairs participating in the MEFAB cohort. Maternal AA, DHA, and EPA were determined in plasma phospholipids - obtained in three trimesters - by gas-liquid chromatography. Cognitive function was assessed at 7 years of age, using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, resulting in three main outcome parameters: sequential processing (short-term memory), simultaneous processing (problem-solving skills), and the mental processing composite score. Spline regression and linear regression analyses were used to analyse the data, while adjusting for potential relevant covariates. RESULTS Only 2% of the children performed more than one SD below the mental processing composite norm score. Children with lower test scores (<25%) were more likely to have a younger mother with a higher pre-gestational BMI, less likely to be breastfed, and more likely to be born with a lower birth weight, compared to children with higher test scores (≥25%). Fully-adjusted linear regression models did not show associations of maternal AA, DHA, or EPA status during any of the pregnancy trimesters with childhood sequential and simultaneous processing. CONCLUSION Maternal fatty acid status during pregnancy was not associated with cognitive performance in Dutch children at age 7.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Brouwer-Brolsma
- Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - O van de Rest
- Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - R Godschalk
- NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Department of Complex Genetics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - M P A Zeegers
- NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Department of Complex Genetics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - M Gielen
- NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Department of Complex Genetics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - R H M de Groot
- NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Department of Complex Genetics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Welten Institute, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands
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