Table 1.
Summary of DHA supplementation trials.
| Authors, years (country)* (primary paper) | Authors, years* (companion papers) | Intervention groups | Control groups | n-3 LCPUFA dose | Number of participants | Duration of intervention | Duration of anthropometric follow-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intervention (boys %) | Control (boys %) | |||||||
| DHA supplementation | ||||||||
| Ramakrishnan et al. (44) (Mexico) | Gonzalez-Casanova et al. (45) | Algal DHA capsule | Olive oil capsule | 400 mg/day | 487 (46.1%) | 486 (45.9%) | 18–22 weeks of gestation until birth | At birth and 60 months |
| Carlson et al. (46) (USA) | Hidaka et al. (47) | Algal DHA capsule | A mix of soybean and corn oil capsule | 600 mg/day | 154 (49%) | 147 (54%) | 8–20 weeks of gestation until birth | At birth and 5 years |
| Mulder et al. (48) (Canada) | Algal DHA capsule | A mix of soybean and corn oil capsule | 400 mg/day | 104 (40.4%) | 111 (55%) | Before 16 weeks of gestation until birth | At birth | |
| Harris et al. (49) (USA) | Algal DHA capsule | Olive oil capsule | 300 mg/day or 600 mg/day | 107 117 (no information) |
121 (no information) | 16–20 weeks of gestation until birth | At birth | |
| Smuts et al. (50) (USA) | DHA enriched eggs | Regular eggs | 183.9 ± 71.4 mg/day (mean ± SD) | 18 (no information) | 16 (no information) | 24–28 weeks of gestation until birth | At birth | |
| DHA+EPA supplementation | ||||||||
| Makrides et al. (51) (Australia) | Muhlhausler et al. (52) | Fish oil capsule | Vegetable oil | 800 mg/day DHA + 100 mg/day EPA | 1,197 (50.1%) | 1,202 (49.8%) | After 21 weeks of gestation until birth | At birth, and 3 and 5 years |
| Escolano-Margarit et al. (54) (Germany, Spain, Hungary) | Campoy et al. (53) | Fish oil-enriched milk | Milk | 500 mg/day DHA + 150 mg/day EPA | 43 (53.5%) | 47 (61.7%) | 20 weeks until birth | At birth, and 4 and 6.5 years |
| Hauner et al. (55) (Germany) | Brei et al. (56) | Fish oil capsule | Dietary counseling | 1,020 mg/day DHA + 180 mg/day EPA | 92 (52%) | 96 (52%) | 15 weeks of gestation to 16 weeks post-partum | At birth, 6 weeks, 4 months, 6 months, and 2, 3, 4, and 5 years |
| Vinding et al. (57) (Denmark) | Vinding et al. (58) | Fish oil capsule | Olive oil capsule | 888 mg/day DHA + 1,320 mg/day EPA | 304 (48.2%) | 301 (53.1%) | 24 weeks of gestation to 1 week post-partum | At birth and 6 years |
| Bergmann et al. (60) (Germany) | Bergmann et al. (59) | Combined supplement [fish oil + basic supplement + fructooligosaccharide (FOS)] | Combined supplement (basic supplement + FOS) | 200 mg/day DHA + 60 mg/day EPA | 41 (40%) | 74 (47%) | Mid-pregnancy to 12 weeks post-partum | At birth, 21 months, and 6 years |
| Van Goor et al. (61) (Netherlands) | Van Goor et al. (62) | Fish oil capsule | Soybean oil capsule | 220 mg/day DHA + 34 mg/day EPA | 42 (39%) | 36 (61.8%) | 15.6–17.4 weeks of gestation to 12 weeks post-partum | At birth and 18 months |
| Judge et al. (63) (USA) | Fish oil-enriched cereal bar | Corn oil cereal bar | 267 mg/day DHA + 34 mg/day EPA | 27 (48.1%) | 21 (66.7%) | 24 weeks until birth | At birth | |
| Keenan et al. (64) (USA) | Fish oil capsule | Soybean oil capsule | 450 mg/day DHA + 90 mg/day EPA | 34 (58.8%) | 15 (46.7%) | 6 weeks supply during pregnancy | At birth | |
| Ostadrahimi et al. (65) (Iran) | Fish oil capsule | Liquid paraffin | 120 mg/day DHA + 180 mg/day EPA | 75 (56%) | 75 (61.3%) | 20 weeks of gestation to 4 weeks post-partum | At birth, 4 and 6 months | |
| Hurtado et al. (66) (Spain) | Fish oil-enriched dairy | Dairy | 320 mg/day DHA + 72 mg/day EPA | 56 (52.6%) | 54 (47.4%) | 28 weeks until 16 weeks post-partum | At birth | |
| Malcolm et al. (67) (UK) | Fish oil capsule | Sunflower oil capsule | 200 mg/day DHA + 36 mg/day EPA | 28 (52%) | 27 (38%) | 15 weeks of gestation until birth | At birth | |
| Sanjurjo et al. (68) (Spain) | Dietary formula | Placebo (non-supplemented) | 200 mg/day DHA + 40 mg/day EPA | 8 (no information) | 8 (no information) | 26–27 weeks of gestation until birth | At birth | |
| Helland et al. (69) (Norway) | Cod liver oil | Corn oil | 1,183 mg/day DHA + 803 mg/day EPA | 82 (43%) | 61 (56%) | 18 weeks of gestation to 12 weeks post-partum | At birth and 7 years | |
| Olsen et al. (70) (Denmark) | Fish oil capsules | Olive oil capsules | 920 mg/day DHA + 1,280 mg/day EPA | 266 (no information) | 136 (no information) | 30 weeks of gestation until birth | At birth | |
*
Primary paper (columns 1) and companion papers (columns 2) from one trial reported at different ages or outcomes; these publications were included in different meta-analyses.
n-3 LCPUFA, n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid; DHA, Docosahexaenoic Acid; EPA, Eicosapentaenoic Acid.