Table 2. Type of design, losses, period of evaluation and supplementation of sources of omega-3, 2000–2015.
| Authors | Design | Losses (%) | Period in which the women were evaluated | Period in which the milk was evaluated | Period of supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atalah et al5 | Clinical trial | 70.0 | Three times during gestation and once in the second month after delivery | 2nd month after childbirth | During pregnancy |
| Bergmann et al38 | Randomized double blind clinical trial | 45.8 | 21st and 37th weeks of gestation, at delivery, and 1 and 3 months after delivery | 3rd month after childbirth | 21st to 37th week, continuation was optional |
| Boris et al27 | Randomized clinical trial | 18.2 | 30th gestational week and the 1st month after delivery | 4th, 16th and 30th days after childbirth | From the 30th gestational week until delivery (group 1) or until the 30th day after delivery |
| Bortolozo et al2 | Randomized controlled clinical trial | 25.0 | Last trimester of pregnancy until the 3rd month of lactation | 30th, 60th, 90th days after childbirth | Last trimester of pregnancy (baseline) until the 3rd month of lactation |
| Dunstan et al20 | Randomized double blind clinical trial | 25.0 | 3rd and 6th days, and 6th month after childbirth | 3rd and 6th days, and 6th month after childbirth | 20th week of gestation until delivery |
| Fidler et al17 | Randomized clinical trial | 0.0 | From the 4th week until the 6th after delivery | In the 4th week after delivery (before starting supplementation), at the 6th week after delivery (after supplementation), and at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours after intake of the supplement | From 4 to 6 weeks after delivery (14 days) |
| Francois et al36 | Clinical trial | 22.0 | 10 weeks: 2 weeks of washout* at baseline (to stabilize the omega-6 and 3 intakes); 4 weeks of linseed oil supplementation and 4 weeks after supplementation | 1 sample at baseline, 1 sample after washout* (2 weeks after the start of study), 4 samples at weekly intervals during 4 weeks of supplementation, and 4 samples at weekly intervals during the post-supplementation period (4 weeks). | 4 weeks |
| Gaete and Atalah1 | Cohort | 7.69 | From entry into the study until the 2nd week after food education | 2 weeks after food education | Food education on the day of study entry |
| Gaete et al31 | Randomized clinical trial | 17.2 | From the study entry to the 15th day after intervention | 15 days after intervention | 15 days |
| van Goor et al39 | Randomized double blind clinical trial | 51.6 | Registration day up to 12 weeks after delivery | 2nd to 12th weeks after delivery | 17th week of gestation until the 12th week after childbirth |
| Hawkes et al40 | Randomized double blind clinical trial | 31.7 | 3rd day after birth until the end of the 12th week after delivery | In the 4th week after delivery | 12 weeks |
| Imhoff-Kunsch et al13 | Randomized double blind clinical trial | 11.0 | Gestation (18th to 22nd weeks) until 1 month after delivery | 1 month after birth | From the 18th to the 22nd gestational week until delivery |
| Jensen et al18 | Clinical trial | 7.7 | 2nd to 8th weeks after delivery | At the 2nd, 5th and 8th weeks after delivery | 6 weeks |
| Marc et al32 | Clinical trial | 25.0 | 1 postnatal week (between 3 and 7 days) before starting DHA supplementation and at follow-up at 15 days (3 weeks) and 49 days (7 weeks) | First postnatal week (between 3rd and 7th days) before starting supplementation and at follow-up on days 15 and 49 | 1 week after delivery until term (36 weeks) - > 8–12 weeks of supplementation |
| Olafsdottir et al41 | Randomized clinical trial | 48.0 | 2nd and 4th months after delivery | 2nd and 4th months after delivery | Registration day up to 4 months after delivery |
| Patin et al35 | Clinical trial | NI | 0, 15 and 30 days after delivery | 0, 15 and 30 days after delivery | 1st and 15th days after delivery |
| Ribeiro et al30 | Randomized clinical trial | 78.4 | 30th gestational week up to 15 days after delivery | 15th day after delivery | 15 days (from the 30th gestational week) |
| Sherry et al42 | Clinical trial | 7.9 | From enrollment (4th to 6th weeks after delivery) up to 6 weeks after supplementation | Baseline and 6th week after supplementation | 6 weeks |
| Smit et al37 | Clinical trial | 11.0 | For one week | Baseline shortly after ingestion of the supplement. On day 1 and day 7 after the intake of the supplement | 1 week |
| Smithers et al43 | Randomized double blind clinical trial | 19.0 | During all hospitalization of the preterm newborn | At intervals of 2 weeks during the hospitalization of the newborn | From study entry (delivery < 33 weeks) until the expected date of delivery |
| Valentine et al44 | Randomized clinical trial | 38.0 | 3 days before supplementation until 12 weeks post supplementation | 0, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th and 84th days after the supplementation | During all the time they donated milk to the milk bank (from 7–90 days) |
| Weseler et al45 | Randomized double blind clinical trial | 34.6 | Pregnancy (36 weeks) up to the 11th week after delivery | 3rd, 5th and 11th weeks after delivery | Gestation (36th week) up to 11th week postpartum |
Abbreviation: NI, not informed.
Note: *Washout: time necessary for the concentration of a medicinal product to be negligible after cessation of therapy.