Fish oil may stop premature births
Source: Agencies |
October 21, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WOMEN taking fish oil capsules during pregnancy are not more likely to stave off post-natal depression, nor boost the mental development of their babies, according to an Australian study.
But taking fish oil may help reduce their chance of giving birth too early and the only side effect they are likely to suffer from taking the substance is increased belching, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers from the Women's and Children's 掳?Hospital in North Adelaide, Australia, set out to test the effects of daily supplements of 掳?docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which earlier studies have hinted might improve pregnancy outcomes.
They looked at more than 2,000 Australian women who received either vegetable oil or fish oil containing DHA during the second half of their pregnancy - a key time for fetal brain growth.
The pills used in the study contained 800 milligrams of DHA and 100mg of another so-called omega-3 fatty acid. DHA is a building block of cell membranes and is especially important in the development of brains.
Side effects
"Before DHA supplementation in pregnancy becomes widespread, it is important to know not only if there are benefits, but also of any risks for either the mother or child," said researcher Maria Makrides in a statement.
The good news: The only side effect was belching, and this was found to be almost twice as common in women taking fish oil as in those taking vegetable oil.
The bad news: Fish oil didn't do much to help avoid depression, with both groups hovering around 10 percent for self-reported high levels of depressive symptoms.
When psychologists 掳?evaluated toddlers at 18 months they found no differences in babbling, verbal comprehension and other language development, nor in cognitive measures, which include exploring objects and forming concepts.
The researchers did find that women taking fish oil cut their risk of giving birth before 34 weeks of pregnancy, from more than 2 percent to just about 1 percent.
A?normal pregnancy lasts 40 ?weeks.
On the other hand, the women also increased their chances of going past their due date for giving birth.
But taking fish oil may help reduce their chance of giving birth too early and the only side effect they are likely to suffer from taking the substance is increased belching, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers from the Women's and Children's 掳?Hospital in North Adelaide, Australia, set out to test the effects of daily supplements of 掳?docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which earlier studies have hinted might improve pregnancy outcomes.
They looked at more than 2,000 Australian women who received either vegetable oil or fish oil containing DHA during the second half of their pregnancy - a key time for fetal brain growth.
The pills used in the study contained 800 milligrams of DHA and 100mg of another so-called omega-3 fatty acid. DHA is a building block of cell membranes and is especially important in the development of brains.
Side effects
"Before DHA supplementation in pregnancy becomes widespread, it is important to know not only if there are benefits, but also of any risks for either the mother or child," said researcher Maria Makrides in a statement.
The good news: The only side effect was belching, and this was found to be almost twice as common in women taking fish oil as in those taking vegetable oil.
The bad news: Fish oil didn't do much to help avoid depression, with both groups hovering around 10 percent for self-reported high levels of depressive symptoms.
When psychologists 掳?evaluated toddlers at 18 months they found no differences in babbling, verbal comprehension and other language development, nor in cognitive measures, which include exploring objects and forming concepts.
The researchers did find that women taking fish oil cut their risk of giving birth before 34 weeks of pregnancy, from more than 2 percent to just about 1 percent.
A?normal pregnancy lasts 40 ?weeks.
On the other hand, the women also increased their chances of going past their due date for giving birth.
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