Premature babies: direct supplementation with Omega-3 is safe and effective
In preterm infants, direct administration of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) can reduce or reverse the deficiency of this fatty acid, in a dose-dependent manner. Such supplementation would appear to be more effective than mother-to-child supplementation through breast milk, and shows no side effects.
This was demonstrated by researchers at the University of Adelaide (Australia), who published the study in the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids just these days.
Very premature infants and the risk of neurodevelopmental problems
Infants born with preterm birth are significantly at risk for brain development disorders and learning disabilities. Nutritional interventions that increase DHA, an Omega 3 found in high concentrations in the brain and retina, are very important in improving the health status of preterm infants. Studies have shown that in infants born after a gestation of less than 33 weeks, the administration of DHA through breast or formula milk allowed a significant decrease in the percentage of risk of severe mental retardation. However, in these infants, blood DHA levels did not reach those observed in babies born with regular gestation, for reasons that are still unclear and probably numerous.
Directly orally administered DHA reduces deficiencies in the bloodstream
In this study, 31 infants born after a gestation of less than 30 weeks randomly received 40, 80 or 120mg per day, per kilogram of body weight, of DHA in the form of an aqueous emulsion, orally. An additional 23 infants, however, represented the control group; of these, 11 had received no supplementation and 12 had taken DHA from the milk of the supplemented mother. Analyzing the levels of the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the blood of the infants, the researchers found that, at 7 days after 'supplementation, those who had received the supplements orally directly showed higher concentrations of DHA than the two control groups. In addition, DHA ingestion had been well tolerated by all infants with no adverse effects.
Toward future studies
According to the researchers who directed it, this study confirms that the blood concentration of DHA in premature infants can be improved by direct administration, rather than through breast milk, with a safe and effective intervention. Indeed, the efficiency of DHA passage from mother to child may depend on several factors such as the different response the mother has to 'supplementation. This new study, therefore, represents an important step toward future research in which the methodology and results obtained can be improved.
Source: C.T. Collins , T.R. Sullivan, A.J. McPhee, M.J. Stark, M. Makrides, R.A. Gibson . " A dose response randomized controlled trial of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in preterm infants" Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids.
