Maternal DHA Important for Neurological Development

A recent clinical trial reports that maternal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) plays a role in neurological function in children. DHA is an essential fatty acid obtained from the diet or synthesized from the essential fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Both DHA and EPA are found in fish oil.

Healthy pregnant women were supplemented with fish oil containing 500 mg DHA plus 150 mg EPA daily; 400 mcg of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate daily, which is the active form of folic acid; fish oil plus 5-methyltetrahydrofolate; or neither to serve as the control group. The women were supplemented starting week 20 of gestation through delivery. Plasma fatty acids and red blood cell phospholipids were measured at weeks 20 and 30 during gestation and in the cord and maternal blood at the time of delivery. Neurological development was assessed in the children at 4 and 5.5 years of age.

The results of the study showed that the odds of the children having a maximum neurological optimality score was related to cord blood DHA levels at delivery and the red blood cell phospholipids phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. In fact, the odds of the children having a maximum neurological optimality score increased with every unit increment in cord blood DHA level at delivery in plasma phospholipids.

The researchers stated, “We conclude that higher DHA levels in cord blood may be related to a better neurological outcome at 5.5 years of age.”

Reference:

Escolano-Margarit MV, Ramos R, Beyer J, Csábi G, Parrilla-Roure M, Cruz F, Perez-Garcia M, Hadders-Algra M, Gil A, Decsi T, Koletzko BV, Campoy C. Prenatal DHA Status and Neurological Outcome in Children at Age 5.5 Years Are Positively Associated. J Nutr. 2011 Apr 27. Published Online Ahead of Print.