Impact of omega-3 fatty acid DHA and EPA supplementation in pregnant or breast-feeding women on cognitive performance of children: Systematic review and meta-analysis

While it is known that omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are important for brain development and cognitive performance, Lehner et al. (2021) theorize that low DHA and/or EPA serum level during pregnancy or breastfeeding may negatively affect their children. This systematic review compiled the randomized controlled trials that assessed the association between the consumption of fish oil supplements in pregnant and/or breastfeeding women with the cognitive performance of their children. Among the 14 trials included, no significant relationship could be determined between DHA/EPA supplementation and any of the assessed cognitive parameters or birth weight. Future research in this field was recommended to address the limitations of this review, which were questionable quality of included studies, difficulty evaluating small children on cognitive ability, and the small sample size. [NPID: maternal diet, child development, postpartum depression, neonatal, post-partum depression, well-being, omega-3s, fatty acids, DHA, EPA, brain development, fish oil]

Year: 2021

Reference: Lehner, A., Staub, K., Aldakak, L., Eppenberger, P., Rühli, F., Martin, R. D., & Bender, N. (2021). Impact of omega-3 fatty acid DHA and EPA supplementation in pregnant or breast-feeding women on cognitive performance of children: systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition reviews, 79(5), 585–598. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuaa060

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