Randomized controlled trial of maternal omega-3 long-chain PUFA supplementation during pregnancy and early childhood development of attention, working memory, and inhibitory control.

Study answer

What this study found

Prenatal DHA supplementation did not improve attention or working memory/inhibitory control in term-born preschoolers, and there were no consistent benefits across outcomes. Primary outcomes were null: distractibility mean difference -0.2 s (95% CI -0.7, 0.4 s) and WMIC mean difference 8.9 mm (95% CI -0.6, 28.3 mm). A secondary attention outcome also showed no clear advantage, with an adjusted mean difference of 22.0 looks; 95% CI: 23.9 to 20.2 looks. Overall, any observed differences were considered likely to be due to chance.

Study & population

Randomized, placebo-controlled follow-up of the DOMInO trial in pregnant women with singleton pregnancies enrolled at 18 to 21 weeks' gestation in Adelaide, Australia.

Intervention

Maternal oral DHA-rich capsules were given as three 0.5-g capsules per day, providing 800 mg DHA/day and 100 mg EPA/day, from about 20 weeks' gestation until delivery.

Key limitation

Only 81 DHA-arm and 77 placebo-arm children were assessed at follow-up, so power was limited.

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Original abstract