With the enhancement of health awareness, supplementing DHA for children has become the consensus of many mothers. The awareness of folic acid supplementation for pregnant mothers is much higher than that of DHA supplementation. More and more literature studies have revealed the multiple benefits of DHA supplementation during pre-pregnancy in preventing premature birth and neonatal vision development problems.
Birth before 34 weeks of gestation is defined as early preterm birth (EPB). In the United States, early preterm births account for 2.75% of all births and 20% of preterm births. Although most preterm births occur between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation, EPB represents a significant medical and social burden. These infants are at the highest risk of death, require expensive inpatient medical care, and face long-term developmental challenges. Scientists have long searched for interventions that could reduce or prevent preterm birth.
The importance of DHA during pregnancy is shown in a recent study by AJ Rice Professor and University Distinguished Professor Susan E. Carlson, MD, Department of Nutrition at the University of Kansas Medical Center, which shows that DHA can significantly reduce the occurrence of early preterm birth (EPB). rate, especially the effect of daily supplementation with 1000 mg DHA compared with 200 mg DHA on preterm birth rates.
A total of 1,100 pregnant women were recruited and randomized to receive either high or low doses of DHA. Eligible women between 12 and 20 weeks of gestation were supplemented with high and low doses of DHA derived from algae. Women who received higher doses of DHA had a significantly lower rate of preterm birth, both at 0.91%, compared with 1.7% and 2.9%, respectively, in women who received lower doses of DHA.
"The trial found that a woman's baseline DHA status was related to the dose of DHA she received from diet or nutritional supplements. Women with low DHA status at enrollment who were randomly assigned to high-dose DHA had a higher incidence of preterm birth than the low-dose group. 2% and 4.1%, respectively,” explained Dr. Carlson. Statistical analysis of these data yielded a 0.93% probability of the latter, that higher doses were better at preventing EPB. This is consistent with the results of another recent study, "Omega-3 reduces the incidence of preterm birth in Australia".
In addition to the findings regarding DHA dose and EPB, the team also found an effect of higher DHA doses on overall preterm birth. "Preterm birth less than 37 weeks was a secondary outcome," explained Dr. Carlson. "Higher doses of DHA reduced preterm rates regardless of baseline DHA status."
The paper about this research can be found here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00185-1/fulltext
Dr. Carlson appealed to clinicians about the trial results. "The data is very clear that women are not getting enough DHA. We need to educate clinicians about the importance of DHA during pregnancy and give them the tools to identify women who could benefit from higher-than-standard doses."
The study's authors encourage clinicians to consider testing DHA levels in pregnant women, and for those with low levels of DHA in their bodies, supplementation with high doses of DHA is recommended. "The most important take-home message for clinicians caring for pregnant women is that DHA is important in preventing preterm birth, and they should encourage women to take nutritional supplements that provide adequate amounts of DHA."
Given the significant effects observed, this work may have important implications for regions of the world with fewer medical resources. In these regions, birth before 37 weeks is the leading cause of infant mortality. "The fact that higher doses of DHA reduced preterm birth overall suggests that supplementation with higher doses of DHA should be considered in populations with higher rates of preterm birth," suggested Dr. Carlson.
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