Journal article
Omega-3 Fatty Acid Dietary Supplements Consumed During Pregnancy and Lactation and Child Neurodevelopment: A Systematic Review
The Journal of nutrition, Vol.151(11), pp.3483-3494
11/02/2021
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxab238
PMCID: PMC8764572
PMID: 34383914
Abstract
ABSTRACT Background Maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation has profound effects on the development and lifelong health of the child. Long-chain PUFAs are particularly important for myelination and the development of vision during the perinatal period. Objectives We conducted a systematic review to examine the relationship between supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and/or lactation and neurodevelopment in children, to inform the Scientific Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Methods We identified articles on omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in pregnant and lactating women that included measures of neurodevelopment in their children (0–18 y) by searching PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase, and CINAHL Plus. After dual screening articles for inclusion, we qualitatively synthesized and graded the strength of evidence using pre-established criteria for assessing risk of bias, consistency, directness, precision, and generalizability. Results We included 33 articles from 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 1 prospective cohort study. Of the 8 RCTs that delivered omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplements during pregnancy alone (200–2200 mg/d DHA and 0–1100 mg/d EPA for approximately 20 wk), 5 studies reported ≥1 finding that supplementation improved measures of cognitive development in the infant or child by 6%–11% (P < 0.05), but all 8 studies also reported ≥1 nonsignificant (P > 0.05) result. There was inconsistent or insufficient evidence for other outcomes (language, social-emotional, physical, motor, or visual development; academic performance; risks of attention deficit disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, or depression) and for supplementation during lactation or both pregnancy and lactation. Populations with a lower socioeconomic status and adolescents were underrepresented and studies lacked racial and ethnic diversity. Conclusions Limited evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation during pregnancy may result in favorable cognitive development in the child. There was insufficient evidence to evaluate the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation during pregnancy and/or lactation on other developmental outcomes.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Omega-3 Fatty Acid Dietary Supplements Consumed During Pregnancy and Lactation and Child Neurodevelopment: A Systematic Review
- Creators
- Julie E H Nevins - Panum Group, Bethesda, MD, USA, Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review team, Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, Alexandria, VA, USASharon M Donovan - Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USALinda Snetselaar - Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USAKathryn G Dewey - Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA, USARachel Novotny - Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Science, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Manoa, HI, USAJamie Stang - Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USAElsie M Taveras - Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, Department of Nutrition, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USARonald E Kleinman - Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USARegan L Bailey - Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USARamkripa Raghavan - Panum Group, Bethesda, MD, USA, Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review team, Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, Alexandria, VA, USASara R Scinto-Madonich - Panum Group, Bethesda, MD, USA, Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review team, Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, Alexandria, VA, USASudha Venkatramanan - Panum Group, Bethesda, MD, USA, Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review team, Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, Alexandria, VA, USAGisela Butera - Panum Group, Bethesda, MD, USA, Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review team, Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, Alexandria, VA, USANancy Terry - NIH Library, Bethesda, MD, USAJean Altman - Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, Alexandria, VA, USAMeghan Adler - Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, Alexandria, VA, USAJulie E Obbagy - Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review team, Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, Alexandria, VA, USAEve E Stoody - Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, Alexandria, VA, USAJanet de Jesus - Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, HHS, United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Alexandria, VA, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Journal of nutrition, Vol.151(11), pp.3483-3494
- DOI
- 10.1093/jn/nxab238
- PMID
- 34383914
- PMCID
- PMC8764572
- ISSN
- 0022-3166
- eISSN
- 1541-6100
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000002, name: National Institutes of Health
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 11/02/2021
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology; Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984215048302771
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