TABLE 2.
Strength of available evidence for systematic review of the relationship between maternal omega-3 fatty acid supplementation by timing of exposure and child neurodevelopmental outcomes
| Timing of intervention or exposures | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Outcomes | Pregnancy only | Both pregnancy and lactation | Lactation only |
| Cognitive development | Limited, favorable (8 RCTs) (18, 20–23, 25–28, 36, 39–44, 46) | Insufficient (3 RCTs) (17, 29–31, 48) | Insufficient (1 RCT) (33, 34) |
| Language development | Insufficient (7 RCTs) (22, 23, 25–27, 35, 36, 39, 40, 42, 43) | Insufficient (1 RCT) (17) | Insufficient (1 RCT) (33, 34) |
| Social-emotional development | Insufficient (7 RCTs) (22, 23, 26–28, 35, 36, 39, 42–44) | No evidence | No evidence |
| Motor development | Insufficient (7 RCTs) (18, 28, 35, 36, 41–44) | Insufficient (2 RCTs) (17, 47, 48) | Insufficient (1 RCT) (33, 34) |
| Visual development | Insufficient (5 RCTs) (32, 38, 41, 45, 46) | No evidence | Insufficient (1 RCT) (33, 34) |
| Academic performance | Insufficient (1 RCT) (27) | No evidence | No evidence |
| Risk of ADD/ADHD | Insufficient (1 RCT) (26, 27) | No evidence | No evidence |
| Risk of ASD | Insufficient (1 RCT, 1 PCS) (26, 49) | No evidence | No evidence |
| Risk of anxiety or depression | No evidence | No evidence | No evidence |
ADD, attention deficit disorder; ADHD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; ASD, autism spectrum disorder; PCS, prospective cohort study; RCT, randomized controlled trial.