Supplementation with high doses of DHA reduces the risk of preterm birth

The Expert Committee of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) noted that DHA is essential for brain development and retinal development in fetal babies. A meta-analysis published in 2012 found that supplementation with N-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids during pregnancy reduced the risk of early preterm birth by 26%. So does the dosage level of supplementation with DHA (a type of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid) have an effect on preterm birth?

Recently, a study published by EClinicalMedicin showed that expectant mothers who took 1,000 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day during pregnancy had a lower risk of preterm birth than expectant mothers who took 200 mg per day per day.

Lead investigator Dr Susan E. Carlson, from Kansas University Medical Center, said preterm birth (born before 34 weeks of gestation) was a very worrying concern and could lead to a risk of infant death, child disability and increased social costs.

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Introduction to the study

Carlson et al. conducted a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, adaptive design advantage trial in singleton pregnant women aged 12-20 weeks. In the study, 576 expectant mothers consumed 1,000 mg of DHA per day, and 524 expectant mothers consumed 200 mg of DHA per day. The primary outcome of the study was preterm birth (by dose and DHA at the time of registration).

Studies have shown that in all expectant mothers, supplementation with 1000 mg of DAH reduces preterm birth rates (2.4% vs 1.7%) compared with subjects in the 200 mg DHA group. Among those with low DHA levels at the time of registration, subjects in the 1000 mg group had lower preterm birth rates than those in the 200 mg group, at 2% and 4.1%, respectively. There was no such "dose effect" among expectant mothers with higher DHA levels at the time of registration; the preterm birth rates were 1.4% and 1.1% in the 1000 mg and 200 mg groups, respectively.

In addition, studies have shown that the higher the dose of DHA supplemented by expectant mothers, the less common the incidence of serious adverse events, including premature rupture of membranes, chorionic amnioticitis, pyelonephritis, as well as feeding, genitourinary and neurological problems.

Studies have shown that taking 1,000 mg of DHA per day may reduce the risk of preterm birth within 34 weeks more than taking 200 mg of DHA per day, and this is more effective in expectant mothers with lower DHA levels.

医脉通编译自：Madison Weller. High-dose DHA supplements reduce risk for earlypreterm birth. Healio.May 26, 2021.