Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation for Perinatal Depression: A Meta-Analysis.

Study answer

What this study found

Omega-3 PUFA supplementation yielded a small but significant reduction in depressive symptoms overall vs placebo (standardized difference in means −0.236; 95% CI −0.463 to −0.009; P = .042) with substantial heterogeneity (I2 ≈ 89%). Postpartum subgroups showed larger effects, including notable effects in postpartum major depressive episodes; pregnancy subgroups showed negligible effects. Do not prescribe omega-3 PUFAs during pregnancy to treat or prevent depressive symptoms; consider omega-3 PUFA as an add-on treatment for postpartum major depressive episodes, particularly EPA-rich…

Study & population

Pregnant or postpartum women across 18 randomized controlled trials (n = 4,052).

Intervention

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA and/or DHA) supplementation regimens across 18 randomized trials.

Key limitation

High heterogeneity across trials (I2 ≈ 89%), wide variation in dosing regimens and populations, some unclear risk of bias due to reporting and lack of prepublished protocols, potential unblinding from fish-taste, and overall low certainty of evidence in several subgroups.

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Original abstract