Fish Oil Use in Pregnancy Didn’t Make Babies Smart

[HuckleB]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/health/research/20fishoil.html?src=me

"Many women take fish oil supplements during pregnancy, encouraged by obstetricians, marketing campaigns or the popular view that a key fish oil ingredient — docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA — is beneficial to a baby’s cognitive development.

But a large study published Tuesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that the DHA supplements taken by pregnant women show no clear cognitive benefit to their babies. The study also found no evidence that DHA can reduce postpartum depression, except perhaps for women already at high risk for it.

Some previous studies have suggested that DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil, can aid in a baby’s brain development if taken during pregnancy. But many of those studies were small or observed women already taking fish oil, who might be more health-conscious. The new study, with more than 2,000 participants, was a clinical trial in which women received either fish oil with DHA or a placebo (vegetable oil).

“It’s puzzling because observational studies have shown benefits,” said Dr. Emily Oken, an associate professor in population medicine at Harvard Medical School, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. But not every expert was surprised.

..."


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We keep trying to find ways to be smarter, but it seems like we're not yet smart enough out how to make ourselves smarter. If that makes sense to you, then you must be smart, btw.

:hi:

[Barack_America]

1. Glad to hear because I haven't been taking it.

I like to think that completing my PhD while pregnant is what will make my baby smart. ;)

[HuckleB]

4. That could work!

:hi:

[mrs_p]

8. hey - we're in the same boat!

here's to writing, reading, studying, presenting, and working for two!

:toast: (with hot cider)

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. I was almost smart enough to find this in .13 seconds.

J Pediatr. 2010 Jul 22.

Effects of Early Maternal Docosahexaenoic Acid Intake on Neuropsychological Status and Visual Acuity at Five Years of Age of Breast-Fed Term Infants.
Jensen CL, Voigt RG, Llorente AM, Peters SU, Prager TC, Zou YL, Rozelle JC, Turcich MR, Fraley JK, Anderson RE, Heird WC.

U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agriculture Research Service Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics , Houston, Texas.
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We previously reported better psychomotor development at 30 months of age in infants whose mothers received a DHA (docosahexaenoic acid; 22:6n-3) supplement for the first 4 months of lactation. We now assess neuropsychological and visual function of the same children at 5 years of age.

STUDY DESIGN: Breastfeeding women were assigned to receive identical capsules containing either a high-DHA algal oil ( approximately 200 mg/d of DHA) or a vegetable oil (containing no DHA) from delivery until 4 months postpartum. Primary outcome variables at 5 years of age were measures of gross and fine motor function, perceptual/visual-motor function, attention, executive function, verbal skills, and visual function of the recipient children at 5 years of age.

RESULTS: There were no differences in visual function as assessed by the Bailey-Lovie acuity chart, transient visual evoked potential or sweep visual evoked potential testing between children whose mothers received DHA versus placebo. Children whose mothers received DHA versus placebo performed significantly better on the Sustained Attention Subscale of the Leiter International Performance Scale (46.5 +/- 8.9 vs 41.9 +/- 9.3, P < .008) but there were no statistically significant differences between groups on other neuropsychological domains.

CONCLUSIONS: Five-year-old children whose mothers received modest DHA supplementation versus placebo for the first 4 months of breastfeeding performed better on a test of sustained attention. This, along with the previously reported better performance of the children of DHA-supplemented mothers on a test of psychomotor development at 30 months of age, suggests that DHA intake during early infancy confers long-term benefits on specific aspects of neurodevelopment.


And this:

Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Apr;91(4):848-59. Epub 2010 Feb 3.
The DIAMOND (DHA Intake And Measurement Of Neural Development) Study: a double-masked, randomized controlled clinical trial of the maturation of infant visual acuity as a function of the dietary level of docosahexaenoic acid.
Birch EE, Carlson SE, Hoffman DR, Fitzgerald-Gustafson KM, Fu VL, Drover JR, Castañeda YS, Minns L, Wheaton DK, Mundy D, Marunycz J, Diersen-Schade DA.
Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, TX 75231, USA. [e-mail]
Comment in:
Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Apr;91(4):827-8.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The range of human milk docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations worldwide is much broader than the range explored in randomized clinical trials to date.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to determine the effect of 4 amounts of DHA supplementation on the visual acuity of formula-fed infants at 12 mo of age. Secondary objectives were to evaluate visual acuity maturation, red blood cell fatty acids, tolerance, anthropometric measures, and adverse events.

DESIGN: This double-masked, randomized trial was conducted at 2 sites (Dallas and Kansas City). Three hundred forty-three healthy, term, formula-fed infants were enrolled at 1-9 d of age and were randomly assigned to be fed 1 of the following 4 infant formulas containing equivalent nutrient amounts, except for long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids: control (0% DHA), 0.32% DHA, 0.64% DHA, or 0.96% DHA; DHA-supplemented formulas also provided 0.64% arachidonic acid. Visual acuity was measured by visual evoked potentials in 244 infants who completed the 12-mo primary outcome examination.

RESULTS: Infants fed control formula had significantly poorer visual evoked potential visual acuity at 12 mo of age than did infants who received any of the DHA-supplemented formulas (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in visual evoked potential visual acuity between the 3 amounts of DHA supplementation for either site at any age tested.

CONCLUSIONS: DHA supplementation of infant formula at 0.32% of total fatty acids improves visual acuity. Higher amounts of DHA supplementation were not associated with additional improvement of visual acuity. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00753818.
PMID: 20130095 Free Article

And this:

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the developing central nervous system (CNS) - Implications for dietary recommendations.
Guesnet P, Alessandri JM.
INRA, UR909 Unité de Nutrition et Régulation Lipidique des Fonctions Cérébrales (Nurélice), CRJ, F-78352 Jouy-en-Josas cedex, France.
Abstract

The accretion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in membranes of the central nervous system is required for the optimum development of retina and brain functions. DHA status is determined by the dietary intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), both the metabolic precursor alpha-linolenic acid (alpha-LNA) and DHA. Clinical studies have shown that feeding term or premature infants with formula low in total n-3 PUFA may alter the maturation of visual acuity.

Moreover, feeding infants over the first 6 mon of life with formula containing adequate alpha-LNA, but no DHA, did not sustain the same cerebral accretion of DHA as that of breast-fed infants. Whether lower DHA accretion in brain of formula-fed term infants impairs neurophysiological performances is not clearly established. Contradictory data have been published, possibly owing to confounding factors such as maternal intakes and/or genetic variations in PUFA metabolism.

Nevertheless, a large corpus of data is in favor of the recommendation of regular dietary intakes of DHA (during at least the first 6 mon of life) and suggest that DHA should be added in formulas at the level generally found in human milk (0.2-0.3 wt% of total fatty acids). The maternal intake of n-3 PUFA during pregnancy and lactation is also crucial, since the n-3 PUFA are provided during perinatal development through placental transfer and maternal milk, which determines the DHA status of the newborn and consequently impacts on post-natal development of brain and visual functions. Whether more clinical studies are needed to control and improve the impact of DHA maternal intakes on the progeny's neurodevelopment, several commissions recommended by precaution that DHA average intake for pregnant and lactating women should be of 200-300 mg/day.

[valerief]

3. Keep babies away from Fox. Keep the whole family away from it, in fact. nt

[HuckleB]

5. Yes, that is good advice.

It would be inhumane to study the matter, however.

[HuckleB]

6. DHA and support of the cognitive development of the unborn child and breastfed infant

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/nda_op_ej1007_art14_0218b_maternal%20DHA_cognitive%20development_summary_en,0.pdf?ssbinary=true

"The Panel concludes that there is insufficient evidence to establish a cause and effect
relationship between the consumption of supplementary DHA during pregnancy and lactation
and cognitive development in unborn children or breastfed infants."

[d_r]

7. myelination

myelin is the fatty layers that "insulate" our nerve cells, allowing for electrical transmissions to be more efficient, in much the same way that rubber insulates a copper wire to plug in a lamp.

This is sometimes called "white matter" in the brain.

For the most part, we are born with all the neurons, or brain cells, we will ever have.

The growth in mass of our brains is from the growth of this white matter insulating our neurons, and in "grey matter" - or the connections between our nuerons. In the first few years of life, dendrite spreading occurs in which our brain cells increase their connections. This "blooming" is followed by "pruning" where unused (and therefore unnecessary) connections are lost. This is a use it or lose it process.

There are some critical windows of opportunity here - if connections aren't made at this stage they never will be (for example, children growing up in some cultures do not hear the phonemes /r/ and /l/ and so can not hear the distinction between them when they are adults - there are many language examples like this, also optic nerve examples, etc. - the human brain has a good degree of plasticity though so the brain will attempt to "rewire" itself if possible) anyway, getting off subject.

In short the human brain seems to be born expectant of environmental stimulation - such as human contact and language - that will stimulate this production of connections.

Anyway, omega 3 fatty acids are a long molecular chain, and make really good insulators. It is beneficial to have omega 3's in the first few months of life because of the benefit in constructing these layers of "insulation." It is better than other types of fats. Myelination begins in utero, so we would suspect that it is good before birth - but who knows. This study suggests not that much difference, others have found importance.

But this is why babies should never be on a low-fat diet, the general recommendation is children under 2 shouldn't have low-fat diets, I personally think under 4 but that is just my opinion based on brain development.

There are also some studies that show benefit of omega 3's later in childhood, such as language development in early preschool.

One other thing is, with so much mercury in our oceans you have to balance the good with the bad.

[SoCalDem]

9. What makes babies smart

relaxed, well-nourished moms-to-be
followed by ample time spent with babies

[HuckleB]

10. Indeed.

:hi:

[Uben]

11. That can't be right.....

....I've been taking fish oil supplements for many years and I'm so smart, I'm thinking about writing a dictionary!

[HuckleB]

12. Ah, so fish oil supplements cause ADHD.

Just kidding! ;) Seriously! Just kidding!

[Uben]

13. Seriously?

Ha! I've been around here long enough, I don't take much of anything seriously.....as you may have noticed by my reply. I just try to add a smile here and there.....just like you! I've also been around enough to not let politics dominate my life. It's too damned depressing. Up down up down up down...kinda like the stock market! When 90% of the people where you live are republicans, discussing polotics is kinda like pulling teeth.

[HuckleB]

15. I have no idea what that response means, but...

... no one lives where there are more than 60 percent of either party in dominance.

The world is is funny that way.

[Number23]

14. I keep hearing that fish oil is the Alpha and Omega to pregnant women

Not only does it help with brain and heart development, it supposedly reduces the chance of premature birth.

Since most doctors say that fish oil doesn't hurt, I don't see anything wrong with a woman who wants to take it while pregnant as long as she doesn't think that taking it will make her child super-human.

#23 - who had a baby this year and took Omega 3 capsules a few times a week while pregnant

[HuckleB]

19. As far as we know, it doesn't hurt anything but the old wallet.

[vanlassie]

16. The California WIC Association has challenged the science

for DHA and other additives that are added to artifical baby milk- stating that the taxpayer should not be asked to foot the higher (substantially higher) cost of such additives in the absence of evidence of efficacy. The Congress denied this request, but the industry is being called out for their unethical practices. At the present time, WIC is required to take bids for whatever CRAP the industry offers up, and it is a scandal that we have not heard the last about.

If we want smarter babies, we need to feed them human milk for the first year of life, and practice attachment style parenting that stimulates their brain connections as described above. "Formula" makes babies dumber, and there is no additive to fix dumb.

[HughMoran]

17. But the babies do smell a bit fishy though

:)

[kenny blankenship]

18. But what about their fins, the webbing ?

I can't believe that there was no improvement in the gills. Say that their gills were fine and red. I need to hear and believe it even if it's not true.