Prenatal Supplementation with Docosahexaenoic Acid Has No Effect on Growth through 60 Months of Age.
BACKGROUND
Prenatal supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been shown to increase birth size, but it is unclear whether these differences translate into improved postnatal growth.


OBJECTIVE
We assessed the effect of prenatal supplementation with DHA on offspring weight, length, and body mass index (BMI) through 60 mo of age.


METHODS
We examined growth patterns (height, weight, and BMI) in a cohort of 802 Mexican children whose mothers participated in a randomized, controlled trial of daily supplementation with 400 mg/d of DHA or a placebo from week 18-22 of gestation through delivery, with the use of a longitudinal multilevel model of growth.


RESULTS
Overall, means ± SDs of height-, weight-, and BMI-for-age z scores relative to WHO growth standards at 60 mo were -0.49 ± 0.91, -1.15 ± 1.07 and 0.13 ± 1.11, respectively. There were no significant differences by treatment group (all P > 0.05) for height, weight, or BMI at any age through 60 mo. Similarly, DHA did not affect the average growth or the trajectories for these measures through 60 mo.


CONCLUSIONS
Prenatal DHA supplementation did not affect height, weight, or BMI through 60 mo of age. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00646360.
Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA;
Ines
I
Gonzalez-Casanova
Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA;
Aryeh D
AD
Stein
Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA;
Wei
W
Hao
Health and Nutrition Research Center and.
Raquel
R
Garcia-Feregrino
Population Health Research Center, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico; and.
Albino
A
Barraza-Villarreal
International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
Isabelle
I
Romieu
Health and Nutrition Research Center and.
Juan A
JA
Rivera
Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA;
Reynaldo
R
Martorell
Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA; uramakr@emory.edu.
Usha
U
Ramakrishnan
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D057238:Growth Charts; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D011295:Prenatal Care; D014944:World Health Organization; D055815:Young Adult
D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids
child development; child growth; docosahexaenoic acid; maternal and child health; polyunsaturated fatty acids; prenatal supplementation