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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2008;52(2):157-66.
doi: 10.1159/000129651. Epub 2008 Apr 29.

Supplementation with 200 mg/day docosahexaenoic acid from mid-pregnancy through lactation improves the docosahexaenoic acid status of mothers with a habitually low fish intake and of their infants

Renate L Bergmann  1 , Elisabeth Haschke-Becher, Petra Klassen-Wigger, Karl E Bergmann, Rolf Richter, Joachim W Dudenhausen, Dominik Grathwohl, Ferdinand Haschke
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Supplementation with 200 mg/day docosahexaenoic acid from mid-pregnancy through lactation improves the docosahexaenoic acid status of mothers with a habitually low fish intake and of their infants

Renate L Bergmann et al. Ann Nutr Metab. 2008.

Abstract

Background/aims: The supply of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6omega-3), important for fetal/infant neurodevelopment, depends on the maternal fatty acid (FA) status, which may be marginal in central Europe. Therefore, we investigated the effect of a daily vitamin/mineral supplement with and without 200 mg DHA from mid-pregnancy through lactation on the DHA concentrations in maternal and infant red blood cell phospholipids (RBC%), and in breast milk FA (%).

Methods: At 21 weeks' gestation, 144 women were enrolled into a randomised, double-blind clinical trial receiving daily: (1) a basic vitamin-mineral supplement (Vit/Min group), (2) Vit/Min plus 4.5 g fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS group), or (3) Vit/Min plus 4.5 g FOS plus 200 mg fish oil-derived DHA (DHA-FOS group). FAs were determined by capillary gas-liquid chromatography.

Results: While maternal RBC-DHA% at enrolment was not different, at 37 weeks gestation, and 3 months after delivery RBC-DHA% were significantly higher in the DHA-FOS group. The breast milk DHA% was twice as high in the DHA-FOS group (0.50%) than in the two others (0.25 %) (p < 0.001), and the ratio ARA/DHA in the DHA-FOS group was 1.0 +/- 0.43, in the others 2.1 +/- 0.43 (p < 0.001). The RBC-DHA% of the infants in the DHA-FOS group was also significantly higher, and correlated significantly with maternal RBC-DHA% before and 3 months after delivery.

Conclusions: In central Europe, a dose of 200 mg/day DHA from mid-pregnancy through lactation seems appropriate to improve the DHA status of mothers and infants.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study design.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
RBC-DHA (wt%) of mothers and infants and DHA content in breast milk lipids (wt%) at 3 months after delivery. r = Pearson correlation coefficient.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
RBC-DHA (wt%) of mothers and infants and DHA content in breast milk lipids (wt%) at 3 months after delivery. r = Pearson correlation coefficient.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
RBC-DHA (wt%) of mothers and infants and DHA content in breast milk lipids (wt%) at 3 months after delivery. r = Pearson correlation coefficient.
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