Maternal Supplementation With Very-Long-Chain n-3 Fatty Acids During Pregnancy and Lactation Augments Children’s IQ at 4 Years of Age

Helland, Ingrid B.; Smith, Lars; Saarem, Kristin; Saugstad, Ola Didrik; Drevon, Christian A.

doi:10.1542/peds.111.1.e39

Cited by 801 publications

(610 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…This tendency caused a poor fit of one of the structural equation models. Although a chance finding cannot be excluded, one must also consider the possibility that MeHg exposure may be associated with intake of essential nutrients from seafood, and that, for example, long-chain n-3 fatty acids may have beneficial effects on brain development [1,22]. Partial adjustment for this factor was provided by adding maternal fish intake during pregnancy as a covariate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of prenatal methylmercury exposure on neurobehavioral function at age 14 years

Debes

Budtz‐Jørgensen

Weihe

et al. 2006

Neurotoxicology and Teratology

249

168

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A cohort of 1022 consecutive singleton births was generated during [1987][1988] in the Faroe Islands, where increased methylmercury exposure occurs from traditional seafood diets that include pilot whale meat. The prenatal exposure level was determined from mercury analyses of cord blood, cord tissue, and maternal hair. At age 14 years, 878 of 1010 living cohort members underwent detailed neurobehavioral examination. Eighteen participants with neurological disorders were excluded. Blood and hair samples obtained from the participants were analyzed for mercury. The neuropsychological test battery was designed based on the same criteria as applied at the examination at age 7 years. Multiple regression analysis was carried out and included adjustment for confounders. Indicators of prenatal methylmercury exposure were significantly associated with deficits in finger tapping speed, reaction time on a continued performance task, and cued naming. Postnatal methylmercury exposure had no discernible effect. These findings are similar to those obtained at age 7 years, and the relative contribution of mercury exposure to the predictive power of the multiple regression models was also similar. An analysis of the test score difference between results at 7 and 14 years suggested that mercury-associated deficits had not changed between the two examinations. In structural equation model analyses, the neuropsychological tests were separated into five groups; methylmercury exposure was significantly associated with deficits in motor, attention, and verbal tests. These findings are supported by independent assessment of neurophysiological outcomes. The effects on brain function associated with prenatal methylmercury exposure therefore appear to be multi-focal and permanent.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of prenatal methylmercury exposure on neurobehavioral function at age 14 years

Debes

Budtz‐Jørgensen

Weihe

et al. 2006

Neurotoxicology and Teratology

249

168

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Certain constituents of breast milk, for example, docosahexaenoic acid, are known to be associated with infant mental development (Uauy & De Andraca, 1995;Koletzko & Rodriguez-Palmero, 1999). Docosahexaenoic acid in breast milk is associated with maternal intake of the fatty acid (Helland et al, 1998) and maternal supplementation may be favorable for later mental development of children (Helland et al, 2003). However, there is little evidence that they affect motor development.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal body mass index, duration of exclusive breastfeeding and children's developmental status at the age of 6 years

et al. 2005

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Objective: To investigate whether the duration of exclusive breastfeeding and maternal body mass index (BMI) are associated with children's developmental status at the time of beginning elementary school. Design and subjects: The subjects in the sample came from a longitudinal study on infant nutrition in Iceland. Food records were made once a month from birth to the age of 12 months, from which duration of exclusive breastfeeding could be determined. Mothers filled in The Icelandic developmental inventory for evaluation of motor and verbal development close to their children's sixth birthday (n ¼ 85). Maternal self-reported weight and height was recorded. Information on socioeconomic factors was gathered by a questionnaire. Results: Duration of exclusive breastfeeding, in months, was positively related to children's motor component (B ¼ 0.570.5, P ¼ 0.054) and to the total developmental index (B ¼ 1.070.5, P ¼ 0.044) at 6 y, adjusting for gender and socioeconomic factors (maternal and paternal education, and family income). Children's learning score was negatively related to maternal BMI (B ¼ À0.570.2, P ¼ 0.047). An inverse association also appeared between maternal BMI and two out of the three developmental composite scores, that is, verbal component and the total developmental index (B ¼ À0.670.3, P ¼ 0.049) and (B ¼ À0.470.2, P ¼ 0.057), respectively. In multiple regression the developmental indexes were most strongly independently associated with maternal BMI (negatively) and infants' birth weight (positively). Conclusion: Maternal BMI and duration of breastfeeding were associated with verbal and motor development of 6-y-old children, independent of socioeconomic factors. Birth weight was also an independent determinant for developmental scores.

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“…Helland et al reported an association between the cord blood DHA at birth and one of the measures of function (cerebral maturity), although in this case the cord DHA level was also associated with gestational age, and it is not clear whether this was corrected for in the analysis. Helland et al (2003) in a subsequent study reported a positive effect on IQ at 4 years of the DHA supplementation, although the supplementation period continued throughout lactation, making it difficult to conclude whether the sensitive period was in utero or in early neonatal life when there is already some evidence for a beneficial effect of LCPUFA intake.…”

Section: Implications For Dietary Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of placental function on fatty acid requirements during pregnancy

Haggarty¹

2004

Eur J Clin Nutr

182

156

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The fetus has an absolute requirement for the n-3/n-6 fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3; DHA) in particular is essential for the development of the brain and retina. Most of the fat deposition in the fetus occurs in the last 10 weeks of pregnancy. The likely rate of DHA utilisation during late pregnancy cannot be met from dietary sources alone in a significant proportion of mothers. De novo synthesis makes up some of the shortfall but the available evidence suggests that the maternal adipose tissue makes a significant contribution to placental transport to the fetus. The placenta plays a crucial role in mobilising the maternal adipose tissue and actively concentrating and channelling the important n-3/n-6 fatty acids to the fetus via multiple mechanisms including selective uptake by the syncytiotrophoblast, intracellular metabolic channelling, and selective export to the fetal circulation. These mechanisms protect the fetus against low long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) intakes in the last trimester of pregnancy and have the effect of reducing the maternal dietary requirement for preformed DHA at this time. As a result of these adaptations, small changes in the composition of the habitual maternal diet before pregnancy are likely to be more effective in improving LCPUFA delivery to the fetus than large dietary changes in late pregnancy. There is little evidence that DHA intake/status in the second half of pregnancy affects visual and cognitive function in the offspring, but more studies are needed, particularly in children born to vegetarian and vegan and mothers who may have very low intakes of DHA.

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Maternal Supplementation With Very-Long-Chain n-3 Fatty Acids During Pregnancy and Lactation Augments Children’s IQ at 4 Years of Age

Cited by 801 publications

References 44 publications

Impact of prenatal methylmercury exposure on neurobehavioral function at age 14 years

Impact of prenatal methylmercury exposure on neurobehavioral function at age 14 years

Maternal body mass index, duration of exclusive breastfeeding and children's developmental status at the age of 6 years

Effect of placental function on fatty acid requirements during pregnancy

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