Zeitschrift für Schwangerschaft und Kindergesundheit

Abstrakt

Effects of Prenatal Fish Oil and Folic Acid Supplementation on Infant Psychomotor and Mental Development: Results from NUHEAL Randomized Controlled Trial

Cristina Campoy, Signe Altmäe, Rosa Ramos, Francisco Cruz, Miguel Perez, Maria T Salvatierra, Concepcion Robles, Milagros Cruz, Maria T Miranda, Angel Gil, Tamas Decsi and Berthold V Koletzko

Background: Prenatal supply of folic and fatty acids is related to infant’s neurodevelopment; however, the potential beneficial effects on child’s neurologic outcomes remain controversial.

Methods: We analysed 154 Spanish pregnant women in 4 randomized groups of supplementation with fish oil (FO), folic acid (5-MTHF), both, or placebo, and assessed their infant’s mental and psychomotor development at 6 and 20 months of life with Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID).

Results: No significant differences in BSID outcomes between the groups were detected. FO+5-MTHF supplementation influenced positively blood phospholipid polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and folate levels during pregnancy, at delivery, and in neonates. No effect of FO and/or 5-MTHF supplementation on breast milk PUFA levels was detected. Further, higher maternal DHA and lower n6/n3 ratio at delivery associated positively with offspring’s PDI scores at 20 months. While infants with higher blood folate levels correlated with higher MDI scores at 20 months.

Conclusions: Findings of the current study show no clear effect of FO and folic acid supplementation on child’s neurodevelopment, regardless of the positive effect of supplementation on blood PUFAs and folate levels. However, prenatal PUFAs, especially DHA, and higher folate levels in newborns could have a positive effect on child’s neurodevelopment.