Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health logoLink to Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
. 2004 Jun;58(6):486–492. doi: 10.1136/jech.2003.013565

Maternal fish intake in late pregnancy and the frequency of low birth weight and intrauterine growth retardation in a cohort of British infants

I Rogers 1, P Emmett 1, A Ness 1, J Golding 1
PMCID: PMC1732783  PMID: 15143117

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relation between maternal fish intake in late pregnancy and the frequency of low birth weight and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).

Participants: 11 585 pregnant women in south west England.

Methods: Information on fish intake was obtained from a food frequency questionnaire sent to the women at 32 weeks' gestation, and used to calculate n-3 fatty acid (n-3FA) intake from fish. IUGR was defined as a birth weight for gestational age and sex below the 10th centile. Confounding variables considered included maternal age, height, weight, education, parity, smoking and drinking in pregnancy, and whether the mother was living with a partner. Only singleton, liveborn infants were included.

Main results: Mean daily intakes of fish and n-3FAs were 32.8 g and 0.147 g respectively. In unadjusted analyses there were positive associations between mean birth weight and fish intake or n-3FA intake, but these disappeared on adjustment for potential confounders. The frequency of IUGR decreased with increasing fish intake—the OR (95%CI) of IUGR in those eating no fish was 1.85 (1.44 to 2.38) compared with those in the highest fish intake group. On adjustment this relation was attenuated (adjusted OR 1.37 (1.02 to 1.84)), but the decline in the frequency of IUGR with increasing fish intake remained statistically significant. No relation was observed between mean gestation and fish or n-3FA intake.

Conclusions: These results lend some support to the hypothesis that raising fish or n3-FA intake during pregnancy may increase fetal growth rate. However, they provide no evidence that increasing fish consumption is associated with an increase in mean gestation.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (214.8 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Allen K. G., Harris M. A. The role of n-3 fatty acids in gestation and parturition. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2001 Jun;226(6):498–506. doi: 10.1177/153537020122600602. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bulstra-Ramakers M. T., Huisjes H. J., Visser G. H. The effects of 3g eicosapentaenoic acid daily on recurrence of intrauterine growth retardation and pregnancy induced hypertension. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1995 Feb;102(2):123–126. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1995.tb09064.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Clarke S. D., Benjamin L., Bell L., Phinney S. D. Fetal growth and fetal lung phospholipid content in rats fed safflower oil, menhaden oil, or hydrogenated coconut oil. Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 May;47(5):828–835. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/47.5.828. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dolk H., Pattenden S., Johnson A. Cerebral palsy, low birthweight and socio-economic deprivation: inequalities in a major cause of childhood disability. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2001 Oct;15(4):359–363. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-3016.2001.00351.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Golding J., Pembrey M., Jones R., ALSPAC Study Team ALSPAC--the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. I. Study methodology. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2001 Jan;15(1):74–87. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-3016.2001.00325.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Harper V., MacInnes R., Campbell D., Hall M. Increased birth weight in northerly islands: is fish consumption a red herring? BMJ. 1991 Jul 20;303(6795):166–166. doi: 10.1136/bmj.303.6795.166. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Knapp H. R., Reilly I. A., Alessandrini P., FitzGerald G. A. In vivo indexes of platelet and vascular function during fish-oil administration in patients with atherosclerosis. N Engl J Med. 1986 Apr 10;314(15):937–942. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198604103141501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kristal A. R., Rush D. Maternal nutrition and duration of gestation: a review. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1984 Sep;27(3):553–561. doi: 10.1097/00003081-198409000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Leaf A., Weber P. C. Cardiovascular effects of n-3 fatty acids. N Engl J Med. 1988 Mar 3;318(9):549–557. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198803033180905. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mackenbach Johan P. Income inequality and population health. BMJ. 2002 Jan 5;324(7328):1–2. doi: 10.1136/bmj.324.7328.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mamalakis G., Tornaritis M., Kafatos A. Depression and adipose essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2002 Nov;67(5):311–318. doi: 10.1054/plef.2002.0435. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Olsen S. F., Grandjean P., Weihe P., Viderø T. Frequency of seafood intake in pregnancy as a determinant of birth weight: evidence for a dose dependent relationship. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1993 Dec;47(6):436–440. doi: 10.1136/jech.47.6.436. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Olsen S. F., Hansen H. S., Jensen B. Fish oil versus arachis oil food supplementation in relation to pregnancy duration in rats. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 1990 Aug;40(4):255–260. doi: 10.1016/0952-3278(90)90046-n. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Olsen S. F., Hansen H. S., Secher N. J., Jensen B., Sandström B. Gestation length and birth weight in relation to intake of marine n-3 fatty acids. Br J Nutr. 1995 Mar;73(3):397–404. doi: 10.1079/bjn19950042. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Olsen S. F., Hansen H. S., Sørensen T. I., Jensen B., Secher N. J., Sommer S., Knudsen L. B. Intake of marine fat, rich in (n-3)-polyunsaturated fatty acids, may increase birthweight by prolonging gestation. Lancet. 1986 Aug 16;2(8503):367–369. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)90055-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Olsen S. F., Olsen J., Frische G. Does fish consumption during pregnancy increase fetal growth? A study of the size of the newborn, placental weight and gestational age in relation to fish consumption during pregnancy. Int J Epidemiol. 1990 Dec;19(4):971–977. doi: 10.1093/ije/19.4.971. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Olsen S. F., Sørensen J. D., Secher N. J., Hedegaard M., Henriksen T. B., Hansen H. S., Grant A. Randomised controlled trial of effect of fish-oil supplementation on pregnancy duration. Lancet. 1992 Apr 25;339(8800):1003–1007. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(92)90533-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Onwude J. L., Lilford R. J., Hjartardottir H., Staines A., Tuffnell D. A randomised double blind placebo controlled trial of fish oil in high risk pregnancy. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1995 Feb;102(2):95–100. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1995.tb09059.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Peacock J. L., Bland J. M., Anderson H. R. Preterm delivery: effects of socioeconomic factors, psychological stress, smoking, alcohol, and caffeine. BMJ. 1995 Aug 26;311(7004):531–535. doi: 10.1136/bmj.311.7004.531. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Silvers Karen M., Scott Kate M. Fish consumption and self-reported physical and mental health status. Public Health Nutr. 2002 Jun;5(3):427–431. doi: 10.1079/phn2001308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Williams C., Birch E. E., Emmett P. M., Northstone K., Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood Study Team Stereoacuity at age 3.5 y in children born full-term is associated with prenatal and postnatal dietary factors: a report from a population-based cohort study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Feb;73(2):316–322. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/73.2.316. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES