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Prenatal maternal docosahexaenoic acid intake and infant information processing at 4.5mo and 9mo: A longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT: Previous research suggesting an association between maternal prenatal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake and infant cognition has yet to assess whether there is a critical trimester for the observed effects. We used a comprehensive Food Frequency Questionnaire to estimate DHA levels during both the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, in a sample of 125 pregnant women. Infants were assessed at 4.5 months and 9 months post-partum using specific tests of visual acuity, habituation, and visual attention. Based on maternal DHA levels during pregnancy, mothers were subdivided into high, medium, and low groups, and their infants compared for task performance using one-way ANOVAs with maternal DHA groups. On the 9 month visual acuity test, infants whose mothers were in the medium DHA group performed significantly better than those with mothers in the low or high DHA groups (p = 0.008). However, no significant finding was found for any of the other cognitive assessment measures. Despite a number of studies reporting a positive effect of higher DHA levels on cognitive development, this study fails to support those conclusions. We can, however, conclude that it appears to be DHA intake in the third trimester specifically, which is influencing the development of visual acuity towards the end of the first postnatal year.

SUBMITTER: Rees A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6373900 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Prenatal maternal docosahexaenoic acid intake and infant information processing at 4.5mo and 9mo: A longitudinal study.

Rees Alison A Sirois Sylvain S Wearden Alison A

PloS one 20190213 2

Previous research suggesting an association between maternal prenatal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake and infant cognition has yet to assess whether there is a critical trimester for the observed effects. We used a comprehensive Food Frequency Questionnaire to estimate DHA levels during both the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, in a sample of 125 pregnant women. Infants were assessed at 4.5 months and 9 months post-partum using specific tests of visual acuity, habituation, and visual ...[more]

PMID: 30759104

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Project description:IntroductionMaternal-infant equilibrium occurs when cord blood docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is less than or equal to maternal DHA at delivery. Equilibrium may be an indicator of sufficient DHA for optimal fetal and infant neurodevelopment. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of maternal DHA supplementation on equilibrium status and fetal neurodevelopment.MethodsWomen enrolled between 12 and 20 weeks gestation and were randomized to 200 or 800 mg DHA/day until delivery. Maternal red blood cell (RBC) phospholipids were measured at enrollment, 32 weeks, delivery, and in cord blood at delivery. Fetal neurodevelopment was measured at 32 and 36 weeks gestation. Intent-to-treat analyses were conducted to test differences in equilibrium status by group. Fetal outcomes were assessed by equilibrium status and group.ResultsThree hundred women enrolled and 262 maternal-infant dyads provided blood samples at delivery. No maternal-infant dyads with maternal RBC-DHA ≤ 6.96% at delivery achieved equilibrium. The incidence of equilibrium was significantly higher in the 800 mg group. There was no effect of maternal group or equilibrium status on fetal neurodevelopment.ConclusionThe significance of maternal-infant DHA equilibrium remains unknown. Ongoing research will test the effect of treatment group, equilibrium, and nutrient status on infant behavior and brain function.ImpactPregnant women who received a higher dose of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were more likely to achieve maternal-infant DHA equilibrium at delivery. Equilibrium status had no effect on fetal neurodevelopment in this sample. While DHA is crucial for early life neurodevelopment, the significance of achieving maternal-infant equilibrium above the lower threshold is uncertain. There is a lower threshold of maternal DHA status where maternal-infant DHA equilibrium never occurs. The lack of equilibrium associated with low maternal DHA status may indicate insufficient maternal status for optimal placental transfer.

Project description:Abstract Objectives To assess if maternal fatty acid desaturase (FADS) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs174602 modifies the effect of prenatal DHA supplementation on the offspring metabolome at age 3 months. Methods Data were obtained from POSGRAD, a double-blind randomized controlled trial in Mexico in which 1094 women received 400 mg/day of algal DHA or a placebo (corn and soy oil) from mid-gestation until delivery. Genotyping was performed using maternal blood samples collected from women at baseline. Using liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry, untargeted metabolomics was performed on plasma samples obtained from a random subsample of 112 offspring of POSGRAD participants at 3 months of age. Discriminatory metabolic features were selected via linear regression (P < 0.05); false discovery rate (FDR) was controlled for using the Benjamini-Hochberg method (q = 0.2). Analyses were adjusted for infant sex. Effect modification by FADS SNP rs174602 was assessed using two-way analysis of variance. Pathway enrichment analysis was performed with Mummichog (P < 0.05). Subgroup analyses were performed by rs174602, where the study population was grouped into carriers (TT, TC; n = 70) and non-carriers (CC; n = 42) of the minor allele. Results We identified 279 metabolic features that differed significantly between infants whose mothers received prenatal DHA (n = 59) versus placebo (n = 53); however, zero features remained significant after FDR correction. In the DHA * SNP rs174602 interaction analysis, following FDR correction, 346 differentially expressed features were identified. In the subgroup analysis, positively enriched fatty acid metabolism and decreased amino acid and vitamin B3 metabolism pathways were seen among carriers in the DHA group compared to placebo, whereas differentially enriched TCA cycle and omega-6 fatty acid metabolism pathways were observed by treatment group among non-carriers. Conclusions Maternal SNP rs174602 modified the effect of prenatal DHA supplementation on the infant metabolome at 3 months of age, particularly with regards to fatty acid metabolism. These findings provide additional support for the suggestion that differences in FADS genotype may explain inconsistent results observed across DHA supplementation trials. Funding Sources NIH, Nutricia Foundation, Laney Graduate School, and Conacyt, Mexico.

Project description:ImportanceAfrican American women living in urban, low-income environments are at high risk for poor nutrition during pregnancy and birth complications.ObjectiveTo test the effectiveness of prenatal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation on birth outcomes and infant development in a sample of African American women with Medicaid insurance and living in the city of Pittsburgh.DesignThe Nutrition and Pregnancy Study (NAPS) is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of prenatal DHA supplementation conducted between 2012 and 2014.SettingParticipants were recruited from obstetric clinics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.ParticipantsSixty-four pregnant, African American women were enrolled at 16-21 weeks of gestation and randomized to either 450mg/day of DHA (22:6n-3)(n=43) or a soybean placebo (n=21). Four women (6.3%) withdrew from the study: two participants from each study arm; complete data were obtained for 49 infants (76.5%) at the 3-month assessment.InterventionsSupplementation with DHA or placebo continued from the beginning of enrollment through delivery.Main outcome and measuresData on birth outcomes were collected from medical records. At approximately 3 months post-partum, mothers brought their infants to the laboratory where the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-III) were administered and cortisol response to the Face-to-Face Still-Face (FFSF) paradigm was assessed.ResultsInfants of mothers who received DHA supplementation had higher birth weight (3.174g versus 2.890g) than infants of mothers receiving placebo (F [2.40]=6.09, p=0.018, eta=0.36), and were more likely to have a 1-min Apgar score greater than 8 (OR=5.99 [95% CI=1.25-28.75], p=0.025). Infants of mothers who received DHA compared with infants of mothers receiving placebo had lower levels of cortisol in response to the FFSF paradigm (F [1.32]=5.36, p=0.018, eta=0.36). None of the scores on the BSID-III differed as a function of active supplement versus placebo.ConclusionsInfants of women living in urban, low-income environments who received DHA supplementation had more optimal birth outcomes and more modulated cortisol response to a stressor. DHA supplementation may be effective in attenuating the negative effects of prenatal stress on offspring development.

Dataset Information

Prenatal maternal docosahexaenoic acid intake and infant information processing at 4.5mo and 9mo: A longitudinal study.

Publications

Prenatal maternal docosahexaenoic acid intake and infant information processing at 4.5mo and 9mo: A longitudinal study.

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