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 In the third follow-up of children born during a trial of DHA
supplementation in pregnancy, there were no significant differences
in IQ or other cognitive processes at age 7 – the same result
researchers found in earlier rounds of testing.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a type of omega-3 fatty acid, an
important nutrient for the brain, and is needed for development
during pregnancy, said lead study author Jacqueline Gould, of the
Child Nutrition Research Center at the South Australian Health and
Medical Research Institute in Adelaide.
“The main source of DHA for the growing baby is the mother’s diet.
However, the exact amount of DHA that needs to be eaten by the
mother is unknown,” Gould told Reuters Health in an email.
“DHA-rich fish oil supplements have been marketed by manufacturers
as beneficial for child brain development. Use of these supplements
has become common in developed countries, but the effects of DHA
have been unclear,” Gould said.
For the original trial, Gould and her colleagues randomly assigned
pregnant women to groups that would receive either 800-milligram DHA
supplements or dummy pills to be taken daily during the second half
of pregnancy.
When the babies were 18 months old and again when they were 4 years
old, testing showed no differences in intelligence, cognitive,
language or motor skills in the two groups of children.
In the most recent follow-up, children were 7 years old, the
earliest age at which intelligence testing can predict adult
intelligence, the study team notes in JAMA. A total of 543 children,
85 percent of the original trial group, participated in the testing.
The kids were given IQ tests and parents answered questions about
their children’s behavior and “executive function,” which includes
skills like self-regulation and mental control.
The mean IQ score for both groups of children was about 97 to 98
points. Language skills, school performance and executive
functioning also didn’t differ between groups.
The study team found that perceptual reasoning skills were slightly
better in the DHA group. But parent-rated behavioral problems were
also slightly higher in the DHA group.
Although the study didn’t find an effect on IQ, there are other
possible benefits to taking DHA during pregnancy, Gould noted.
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“Randomized controlled trials that have given a high-dose of DHA, or
a placebo, have found that supplements may reduce the risk of
preterm births and may lower the risk of a child developing
allergies if they have a family history of allergy,” she said.
“Healthy pregnant women eating a balanced and varied diet are
unlikely to enhance their child’s brain development by taking DHA
supplements,” Gould said.
Fish is an excellent source of DHA, as well as protein and a variety
of vitamins and minerals, she added.
“There is some general confusion around whether fish is safe for
pregnant women to eat due to possible methyl mercury contamination,
however, there are several species that are considered safe such as
salmon and tinned light tuna,” Gould said. Brains and liver are also
rich in DHA, and smaller amounts can be found in egg yolks and the
lean tissue of red meat.
DHA has been shown in some studies to benefit cognitive development
when given after a baby is born, said Susan Carlson, a researcher at
the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City who wasn’t
involved in the study.
“If the population has adequate DHA intake and infants receive DHA
and arachidonic acid postnatally, which they now do in most
developed countries, increasing DHA intake during pregnancy would
not necessarily show any benefit,” she said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2nREeTk JAMA, online March 21, 2017.
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