. 2011 Sep 19;7(Suppl 3):44–65. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2011.00356.x

Table 4.

Overview of studies on effect of omega‐3 and omega‐6 fatty acids in pregnant women on growth and development of infants

Reference	Location	N	Supplementation to mothers		Functional measurements: age at assessment	Outcomes	Comments
Reference	Location	N	Period	Dose day⁻¹	Functional measurements: age at assessment	Outcomes	Comments
Cross‐sectional studies
(Muthayya et al. 2009a)	India	676			Birthweight	No significant association between DHA status of mother with birthweight.	Fish consumption above the median was 9 g day⁻¹.
(Muthayya et al. 2009a)	India	676			Birthweight	Women not consuming fish had a higher risk of LBW infant compared to women consuming > median in third trimester	Fish consumption above the median was 9 g day⁻¹.
(Parra‐Cabrera et al. 2008)	Mexico	76	15 months	ALA intake = 1.26 to 1.35 mg day^–1; DHA intake = 0.11 mg (intake from FFQ)	Brainstem auditory‐evoked potentials (BAEP)	AA and not DHA intake significantly related to BAEP	FFQ based on consumption in last year and converted to g of food
Randomized controlled trials
(Mardones et al. 2008)	Chile	552	Enrolment to delivery (appr. 8 months)	C = milk powder + with low MMN	Birthweight, length, GA	65.4 g difference in birthweight, 95% confidence interval 5–126 g; P = 0.03) and the incidence of very preterm birth (34 weeks) was lower (0.4% vs. 2.1%; P = 0.03).	The intervention group also had higher quantity of MMN
(Mardones et al. 2008)	Chile	552	Enrolment to delivery (appr. 8 months)	I = fortified with high MMN & EFAs 0.9 g ALA and 4.4 g of LA per 100 g	Birthweight, length, GA		The intervention group also had higher quantity of MMN
(Tofail et al. 2006)	Bangladesh	249	Wk 25 to delivery	I: 1200 mg DHA + 1800 mg EPA	BSID: 10 months	No effects on development. No effects on birthweight, birth length, or head circumference*	Effect on DHA status in mother or infant has not been determined
(Tofail et al. 2006)	Bangladesh	249	Wk 25 to delivery	C: 2250 mg LA + 270 mg ALA	BSID: 10 months
(Ramakrishnan et al. 2010)	Mexico	1040	Wk 18–22 to delivery	I: 400 mg DHA	Birthweight, birth length, head circumference	No effects on growth, but positive effects on birthweight and head circumference in subgroup of supplemented primigravidae	Outcomes on cognition not yet published
(Ramakrishnan et al. 2010)	Mexico	1040	Wk 18–22 to delivery	C: corn soy oil	VEP, BAEP, visual attention, Bayley		Outcomes on cognition not yet published

I, intervention group; C, control group; DHA, docosahexaenoic acid; EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid; LA, linoleic acid; DPA, docosapentaenoic acid; VEP, visual evoked potential; HM, human milk; ERG, electroretinography; EEG, electroencephalogram; FT, Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence, IQ, intelligence quotient; K‐ABC, Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children; BSID, Bayley Scales of Infant Development; MPS, means–end problem solving; MACDI, MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories; TAC, Teller Acuity Card procedure; GGM, Gesell Gross Motor; CLAMS, Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale; CAT, Clinical Adaptive Test; PDI, Psychomotor Development Index; ND, not determined; MMN, multiple micronutrients; GA, gestational age; FFQ, Food frequency questionnaire; ALA, alpha‐linolenic acid; BAEP, brain stem auditory‐evoked potentials. *Birth outcomes were not main outcomes of this follow‐up study. These data were reported in baseline table of Tofail et al. 2006.