title: Relationship between DHA status at birth and child problem behaviour at 7 years of age.
abstract: Animal studies have demonstrated behavioural effects of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) deficiencies and in humans, several psychiatric disorders have been linked to abnormal essential fatty acid metabolism. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between LC-PUFA status at birth and the later development of problem behaviour. In a sample of 393 children, higher levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at birth were associated with lower levels of internalising problem behaviour at age 7 years. The association was markedly present in the infants fed with artificial formula (n=215, Beta=-0.32, P=0.000), but absent in the infants fed with human milk (n=170, Beta=0.11, P=0.325). The associations between arachidonic acid and internalising or externalising behaviour were neither large nor significant. The results suggest that perinatal DHA status may have long-term behavioural consequences. Therefore, we suggest to include measures of problem behaviour in future trials of LC-PUFA supplementation of mothers and/or infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, SEARCH, EURON, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. l.krabbendam@sp.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krabbendam
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hornstra
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Os
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000494:pharmacology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids