title: The influence of supplemental docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids during pregnancy and lactation on neurodevelopment at eighteen months.
abstract: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) are important for neurodevelopment. The effects of DHA (220 mg/day, n=41), DHA+AA (220 mg/day, n=39) or placebo (n=34) during pregnancy and lactation on neurodevelopment at 18 months, and the relations between umbilical cord DHA, AA and Mead acid and neurodevelopment were studied. An age-specific, standardized neurological assessment for the evaluation of minor neurological dysfunction (MND), and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) were used. The intervention did not influence any of the outcomes. Umbilical venous (UV) Mead acid was negatively and n-6 fatty acids were weakly positively associated to the BSID mental developmental index. Children with simple MND had lower UV DHA compared to normally classified children. We conclude that relatively short-term maternal DHA or DHA+AA supplementation does not influence neurodevelopment at toddler age, although some parameters of brain development are related to perinatal DHA and AA status.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. saskiavangoor@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Saskia A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: van Goor
authors.forename: D A Janneke
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dijck-Brouwer
authors.forename: Jan Jaap H M
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Erwich
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schaafsma
authors.forename: Mijna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hadders-Algra
mesh_terms: D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007774:Lactation; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid