Maternal docosahexaenoic acid intake levels during pregnancy and infant performance on a novel object search task at 22 months

The impact of docosahexaenoic acid on maternal mental health: scoping review

Introduction

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a polyunsaturated essential fatty acid from the omega-3 series that appears to be key to perinatal mental health. For this, the aim of this review is to evaluate the effect of DHA on maternal mental health during pregnancy and lactation with respect to depression and anxiety. The present scoping review was carried out following the methodology of Arksey and O'Malley (2005). The selection of studies was carried out in accordance with PRISMA by means of systematic searches in the PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO and Medline databases. The results classified according to the effectiveness of DHA. In most (n = 9) of the 14 studies finally included, DHA plasma levels with or without other polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids were significantly lower in pregnant women with depressive and anxiety symptoms. However, no study reported a beneficial effect of DHA on mental health during the postpartum period. The majority used detection method was the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (n = 11). The prevalence of depressive symptoms ranged between 5.9 % and 50 %. As a conclusion, although more research is needed in this area, these exploratory results suggest that DHA could play an important role in preventing the pathogenesis of depression and anxiety during gestation.

Prenatal maternal docosahexaenoic acid intake and infant information processing at 4.5mo and 9mo: A longitudinal study

Previous research suggesting an association between maternal prenatal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake and infant cognition has yet to assess whether there is a critical trimester for the observed effects. We used a comprehensive Food Frequency Questionnaire to estimate DHA levels during both the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, in a sample of 125 pregnant women. Infants were assessed at 4.5 months and 9 months post-partum using specific tests of visual acuity, habituation, and visual attention. Based on maternal DHA levels during pregnancy, mothers were subdivided into high, medium, and low groups, and their infants compared for task performance using one-way ANOVAs with maternal DHA groups. On the 9 month visual acuity test, infants whose mothers were in the medium DHA group performed significantly better than those with mothers in the low or high DHA groups (p = 0.008). However, no significant finding was found for any of the other cognitive assessment measures. Despite a number of studies reporting a positive effect of higher DHA levels on cognitive development, this study fails to support those conclusions. We can, however, conclude that it appears to be DHA intake in the third trimester specifically, which is influencing the development of visual acuity towards the end of the first postnatal year.

Associations Between Household Food Insecurity in Early Childhood and Children's Kindergarten Skills

Using nationally representative data on a recent birth cohort of U.S.-born children in low-income households (n = 2,800-3,700), this study investigates associations between the timing and intensity of early childhood food insecurity and children's kindergarten reading, math, and social-emotional outcomes. Descriptive patterns reveal that approximately 20% of low-income 0- to 5-year-old children reside in food-insecure households. Food insecurity experienced during early childhood is unfavorably associated with social-emotional outcomes in kindergarten, controlling for household income and prior assessments of child social-emotional skills. Results are less consistent for cognitive outcomes but similar in magnitude. If replicated, findings may inform policy efforts to reduce disparities in early skills for approximately 15 million U.S. children in food-insecure households.

Reduced DHA transfer in diabetic pregnancies: mechanistic basis and long-term neurodevelopmental implications

Infants born to diabetic mothers have a higher frequency of impaired neurodevelopment. The omega-3 or n-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an important structural component of neural tissue and is critical for fetal brain development. Maternal DHA supplementation during pregnancy is linked to better infant neurodevelopment; however, maternal-fetal transfer of DHA is reduced in women with diabetes. Evidence of mechanisms explaining altered maternal-fetal DHA transfer in this population is limited. This review explores existing evidence underpinning reduced maternal-fetal DHA transfer in maternal fuel metabolism in this population. Further research is necessary to evaluate the role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors in modulating placental fatty acid binding and maternal-fetal DHA transfer. Considerations for clinical practice include a diet high in DHA and/or provision of supplemental DHA to obstetric diabetic patients within minimum guidelines.