Original Paper

Supplementation with 200 mg/Day Docosahexaenoic Acid from Mid-Pregnancy through Lactation Improves the Docosahexaenoic Acid Status of Mothers with a Habitually Low Fish Intake and of Their Infants
Renate L. Bergmann^a, Elisabeth Haschke-Becher^b, Petra Klassen-Wigger^c, Karl E. Bergmann^a, Rolf Richter^a, Joachim W. Dudenhausen^a, Dominik Grathwohl^c, Ferdinand Haschke<sup>c

a</sup>Department of Obstetrics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany;
^bCentral Laboratory of the University Hospital of Neurology Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical Private University, Salzburg, Austria;
^cNestlé Nutrition Institute, Vevey, Switzerland

Address of Corresponding Author

Ann Nutr Metab 2008;52:157-166 (DOI: 10.1159/000129651)

  Key Words

• Supplements
• Docosahexaenoic acid
• Pregnancy
• Lactation
• Concentration
• Erythrocytes
• Breast milk

  Abstract

Background/Aims: The supply of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6-3), important for fetal/infant neurodevelopment, depends on the maternal fatty acid (FA) status, which may be marginal in central Europe. Therefore, we investigated the effect of a daily vitamin/mineral supplement with and without 200 mg DHA from mid-pregnancy through lactation on the DHA concentrations in maternal and infant red blood cell phospholipids (RBC%), and in breast milk FA (%). Methods: At 21 weeks' gestation, 144 women were enrolled into a randomised, double-blind clinical trial receiving daily: (1) a basic vitamin-mineral supplement (Vit/Min group), (2) Vit/Min plus 4.5 g fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS group), or (3) Vit/Min plus 4.5 g FOS plus 200 mg fish oil-derived DHA (DHA-FOS group). FAs were determined by capillary gas-liquid chromatography. Results: While maternal RBC-DHA% at enrolment was not different, at 37 weeks gestation, and 3 months after delivery RBC-DHA% were significantly higher in the DHA-FOS group. The breast milk DHA% was twice as high in the DHA-FOS group (0.50%) than in the two others (0.25 %) (p < 0.001), and the ratio ARA/DHA in the DHA-FOS group was 1.0 ± 0.43, in the others 2.1 ± 0.43 (p < 0.001). The RBC-DHA% of the infants in the DHA-FOS group was also significantly higher, and correlated significantly with maternal RBC-DHA% before and 3 months after delivery. Conclusions: In central Europe, a dose of 200 mg/day DHA from mid-pregnancy through lactation seems appropriate to improve the DHA status of mothers and infants.

Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Prof. Dr. Renate Bergmann
Department of Obstetrics, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Campus Virchow
Augustenburger Platz 1
DE-13353 Berlin (Germany)
Tel. + 49 30 450 64101, Fax +49 30 450 64908, E-Mail renate.bergmann@charite.de

  Article Information

External funding was from Nestec Ltd., Switzerland (trial No. 99.43.INF), supported by additional research funds of the Charité University Hospitals.

Received: November 21, 2007
Accepted: February 21, 2008
Published online: April 29, 2008
Number of Print Pages : 10
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 49