title: Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation (DHA) and the return on investment for pregnancy outcomes.
abstract: The Kansas University DHA Outcomes Study (KUDOS) found a significant reduction in early preterm births with a supplement of 600mg DHA per day compared to placebo. The objective of this analysis was to determine if hospital costs differed between groups. We applied a post-hoc cost analysis of the delivery hospitalization and all hospitalizations in the following year to 197 mother-infant dyads who delivered at Kansas University Hospital. Hospital cost saving of DHA supplementation amounted to $1678 per infant. Even after adjusting for the estimated cost of providing 600mg/d DHA for 26 weeks ($166.48) and a slightly higher maternal care cost ($26) in the DHA group, the net saving per dyad was $1484. Extrapolating this to the nearly 4 million US deliveries per year suggests universal supplementation with 600mg/d during the last 2 trimesters of pregnancy could save the US health care system up to USD 6 billion.
authors: The Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
authors: T I
authors: TI
authors: Shireman
authors: The Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
authors: E H
authors: EH
authors: Kerling
authors: The Department of Biostatistics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
authors: B J
authors: BJ
authors: Gajewski
authors: The Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Colombo
authors: The Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA. Electronic address: scarlson@kumc.edu.
authors: S E
authors: SE
authors: Carlson
mesh_terms: D017046:Cost Savings; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000191:economics; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000639:trends; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000191:economics; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids
keywords: Docosahexaenoic acid; Hospital cost; Pregnancy; Preterm birth