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EFFECT OF PRENATAL DHA SUPPLEMENTS ON INFANT MORBIDITY IN A DOUBLE‐BLIND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IN MEXICO
Author(s) -
ImhoffKunsch Beth Christen,
Stein Aryeh,
Martorell Reynaldo,
ParraCabrera Socorro,
Rivera Juan,
Ramakrishnan Usha
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.307.4
Subject(s) - medicine , rash , vomiting , nasal congestion , relative risk , randomized controlled trial , placebo , pediatrics , surgery , nose , confidence interval , alternative medicine , pathology
In a double‐blind randomized controlled trial conducted in Mexico, pregnant women were supplemented daily with 400mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or placebo from 18â22 wk gestation through delivery. To evaluate whether in utero exposure to DHA, which has been shown to modulate immune function, influences infant morbidity, we assessed illness symptoms at 1, 3 and 6 mo. Caregivers reported symptoms such as fever, cough and rash in a 15 d recall administered at each study visit. Baseline maternal characteristics for the 851 infants with morbidity data were comparable between groups. Although the prevalence of symptoms did not differ between groups at 1, 3, and 6 mo, duration varied; 10, 22, and 33% of infants had cough with a mean duration of 0.5, 1.2 and 2.2 d at 1, 3 and 6 mo, respectively. At 1 month, Group I (GI) experienced 48, 33, 19 and 79% increased risk (P<.01) of being ill for more days with cough, phlegm, nasal congestion and nasal secretion, respectively, but had a reduced risk of longer duration of vomiting and rash. At 3 mo, GI had a higher risk of experiencing more days with cough, wheezing and rash (RR: 1.19, 1.74, 1.57; P<.05). GI experienced a reduced risk of more days with cough, phlegm, wheezing and vomiting (RR: .86, .83, .70, .39; P<.001) but a higher risk of difficulty breathing (RR: 2.32) at 6 mo. The potential influence of DHA on illness duration will be clarified upon un‐blinding the data in March 2008.