Research

Largest ever clinical study on omega-3 supplementation in pregnancy reveals dramatic reduction in early births & improvements in infant health

A randomised, multi-centred, double-blind placebo controlled trial of almost 2,400 pregnant women supplemented with Efalex® Mother & Baby Brain & Eye Formula has shown a:

50% reduction in early pre-term delivery
60% reduction in slow developing cognitive and language skills in infants
35% reduction in the incidence of low birth weight babies
35% reduction in post natal depression

The DOMInO trial, funded by the Australian government and conducted in 5 Australian maternity hospitals during 2010, supplemented pregnant women with Efalex® Mother & Baby or a placebo blended oil capsule from the 19th week of pregnancy until birth (averaging 21 weeks of supplementation).

Findings included a very significant reduction in the number of 'slow developers' among the infants born to omega-3 supplemented mothers – from 6.9% to 2.7%. Pre-term delivery cases were halved, which when applied to the population of England and Wales could mean a reduction of over 27,895 pre-term births annually , as early births account for nearly 8% of all live births. Babies born pre-term are at increased risk of a permanent disability such as lung disease, cerebral palsy, blindness or deafness, with one in 10 affected .

Results also found a 35% reduction in depression in the Efalex® Mother & Baby-treated group during the first 6 months postpartum. 9.74% of women in this group suffered post natal depression compared to 15-16% in the general population. Taking part in the trial and receiving the associated attention given to mother and infant also reduced the post natal depression rate by 23% in the placebo group (11.19%).

With one in 10 believed to suffer from post natal depression , trial findings suggest that by supplementing with fish oils during pregnancy, almost 28,000 UK mums could potentially avoid post natal depression annually.

Other significant outcomes from the trial included: reductions of 61% in infant serious adverse events , 43% in infant admissions to intensive care and 66% in the number of foetal / infant deaths.

Dr Alex Richardson, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Evidence Based Intervention, University of Oxford, and co-founder of the UK charity Food and Behaviour Research, comments:

"This trial conclusively shows the importance of omega-3 essential fatty acids for the normal development and future health of the unborn baby, as well as the health of the mother. All expectant mums need to ensure they consume a good dietary intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, and supplementation is a safe and effective way to ensure an adequate supply."

For the full paper see www.JAMA.com Effect of DHA Supplementation During Pregnancy on Maternal Depression and Neurodevelopment of Young Children – A Randomised Controlled Trial – JAMA October 20th 2010, Volume 304, No.15 pages 1675 - 1683

i) Efamol Survey, 2011
ii) Based on the Office for National Statistics figure of 706,248 England & Wales live births (covering 2009)
iii) http://www.tommys.org/Page.aspx?pid=387
iv) http://www.babycentre.co.uk/midwives/research-briefs/pnd/
v) Based on the Office for National Statistics figure of 797,000 UK live births (UK birth rate for the year ending mid-2010)
vi) Serious adverse events refers to hospital visits