title: Supplementation of fish-oil and soy-oil during pregnancy and psychomotor development of infants.
abstract: Supplementation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in infancy improves neuro-developmental outcomes, but there is limited information about the impact of supplementing pregnant mothers with DHA on the development of their infants. In a follow-up of a randomized, double-blind controlled trial with 400 pregnant mothers, the effects of supplementation of fish-oil or soy-oil (4 g/day) during the last trimester of pregnancy on psychomotor development and behaviour of infants at 10 months of age (n=249) were assessed. The quality of psychosocial stimulation at home (HOME) and nutritional status of the subjects were also measured. There were no significant differences in the fish-oil group and soy-oil group in any of the developmental (mean +/-SD mental development index: 102.5 +/- 8.0 vs. 101.5 +/- 7.8, psychomotor development index: 101.7 +/- 10.0 vs. 100.5 +/- 10.1) or behavioural outcomes. It may, therefore, be concluded that supplementation of fish-oil during the last trimester of pregnancy does not have any added benefit over supplementation of soy-oil on the development or behaviour of infants in this population.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Sciences Division, ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research, GPO Box 128, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh. ftofail@icddrb.org
authors.forename: Fahmida
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tofail
authors.forename: Iqbal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kabir
authors.forename: Jena D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hamadani
authors.forename: Fahima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: Sakila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yesmin
authors.forename: Fardina
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mehreen
authors.forename: Syed N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Huda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013024:Soybean Oil
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005395:Fish Oils; D013024:Soybean Oil