Omega-3s in gestation protect infants from hypoxic-ischemic injury
Omega 3 in pregnancy: prevention against hypoxic-ischemic damage in infants
Omega 3 intake during gestation may protect infants' brains from hypoxic-ischemic damage by counteracting the associated inflammatory reaction. This is suggested by a study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh (US) School of Medicine, published in the journal Stroke. The news opens new hope for treating an injury for which few solutions are currently available.
The hypoxic-ischemic injury
Hypoxia is a situation of oxygen deficiency in a tissue of the body. In both the fetus and the newborn, this situation can trigger another phenomenon:ischemia. Ischemia is defined as the reduction or, even, interruption of blood flow. In infants who go through asphyxia, hypoxia and cerebral ischemia go hand in hand: their consequences are called hypoxic-ischemic damage. This situation can occur before, after, or during birth and affects 4-5 million infants each year who may face more or less severe consequences on cognitive, motor, and behavioral abilities. Among the most frequent risks:
- mental retardation
- epilepsy
- learning disabilities
- motor disabilities
The therapies currently available to remedy hypoxic-ischemic injury are quite limited.
New hope from omega-3s
The authors of research published in Stroke evaluated the effect of Omega-3s on damage associated withhypoxia and ischemia in neonates using rats as a model system. Starting on the second day of gestation and up to 14 days after birth, the animals were fed an Omega-3 fortified feed or a standard diet. Seven days after birth, the researchers induced hypoxic-ischemic damage in the infants. The brain consequences of the damage were assessed over the next 5 weeks by specific tests to determine the animals' motor abilities. In addition, the production of molecules involved in inflammatory processes and the activation of cells responsible for the immune response in the brain were monitored up to 7 days after damage induction. Finally, 5 weeks after damage, nerve tissue loss was assessed. It emerged that Omega-3 administration during gestation significantly reduces brain damage and its long-term neurological consequences. In addition, these nutrients exert anti-inflammatory activity against immunity cells in the brain. Subsequent experiments, conducted directly on these cells cultured in the laboratory, showed that Omega-3s reduce inflammation by decreasing the activity of the NF-kB protein. This phenomenon consequently prevents the release of the molecules responsible for inflammation.
From rats to humans
According to the authors, the results of this research suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may significantly protect the brains of infants from hypoxic-ischemic damage. Their action would be at least partly based on inhibition of inflammation mediated by immune system cells present in the central nervous system.
