Asthma in children: omega-3s in pregnancy help prevent it

Consuming supplements containing high doses of omega-3 during the last three months of pregnancy could protect the unborn child from childhood asthma. In fact, according to a recent study, children born to women who were supplemented with fish oil rich in EPA and DHA during gestation were less likely to be affected by asthma, wheezing and respiratory tract infections.

The research was conducted by an international team of scientists, led by Professor Bisgaard of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Childhood asthma is the most common pediatric disease

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. The inflammation is associated with hyper bronchial reactivity that causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, dyspnea, chest tightness, and coughing, especially at night or early in the morning. Childhood asthma is more prevalent in Western countries; worldwide, it has been diagnosed in more than 10% of the pediatric population in industrialized countries, with a projected increase to 400 million cases by 2025. In Italy, the SIDRIA-2 Study in 2002 estimated a prevalence of childhood asthma of about 10% in children aged 6-7 years and 13-14 years. Childhood asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, and, manifesting very early in life compared to other chronic diseases causes a significant economic and other impact in sufferers. In fact, asthma and allergic diseases impair the quality of life of young patients and the entire family unit. It is a reason for limitations in normal activities; impairing the performance of sports, sleep, and school performance. Childhood asthma can manifest itself with highly variable and numerous clinical symptoms that differ in time and intensity. These differences can be triggered by certain factors such as:

• Exercise
• Exposure to allergens (dust mites, pollen, mold, pet dander),
• Pollutants
• Climate Change
• Exposure to tobacco smoke

Although asthma can be controlled and treated, especially pharmacologically, there are currently no known methods of prevention or definitive cure.

Omega-3 supplements in pregnancy reduce the risk of asthma by one-third 

The results of the study, conducted in Danish women, showed that the risk of childhood asthma, wheezing and respiratory infections in the first five years of life was nearly one-third lower in children born to women who had been treated with supplements containing 2.4 grams of omega-3-rich fish oil during pregnancy. "We have long suspected there was a link between the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3s, the low intake of these fatty acids in Western diets, and increasing rates of childhood asthma, and this study shows that these elements are significantly correlated." said Professor Bisgaard, commenting on the data obtained. "Asthma and wheezing have more than doubled in Western countries in recent decades, and now there would seem to be a preventive measure to help reduce cases," he added. In a commentary published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Christopher Ramsden from the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, USA, pointed out that although the results of this study are very promising, the dose of omega-3 used in the research is about 15-20 times higher than the average consumption. This determines how important it is to assure consumers that this dose has no side effects on patients' behavior or cognitive function, and the need for further studies to determine whether lower amounts are equally effective.

Better supplements for women with low omega-3 levels

The study also showed that women with low levels of EPA and DHA in their blood, measured at the beginning of the research, had benefited more from the supplements, manifesting a 54 percent lower risk reduction of asthma in children, compared with mothers who had not followed the supplementation. "Identifying these women and providing them with the supplements should be considered a first-line defense to reduce and prevent childhood asthma," said Professor Ken Stark, co-author of the research. Furthermore, according to Dr. Ramsden, the fact that a preventive effect of omega-3 was greater in children whose mothers had low baseline blood levels of EPA and DHA is a particularly interesting finding that highlights the importance of measuring baseline omega-3 levels in future studies and public health initiatives.

Some details of the research

The team of researchers selected 736 women who were given either a daily treatment of supplements containing 2.4 grams of omega-3 (55 percent EPA and 37 percent DHA in triglyceride form) from the 24th week of pregnancy onward, or an olive oil placebo. The researchers then followed the offspring of 695 of the participants, for 5 years. The results showed that the risk of asthma or persistent wheezing in children born to women who had received the omega-3 supplements during pregnancy had been 31 percent lower than those born to women in the placebo group. In addition, the scholars found that supplementation was significantly linked to a reduction in the risk of lower respiratory tract infections (with 31.7 percent of cases of infection, compared with 39.1 percent), and a reduction, though not statistically significant, in asthma exacerbations, eczema and allergies.

Omega-3 to counteract asthma in those most sensitive to treatment

According to the researchers who conducted the study, supplementation during pregnancy with high doses of marine-derived omega-3s would be effective in reducing the likelihood of childhood asthma, particularly in pregnant women with low blood levels of EPA and DHA. These findings suggest the need for further studies in this regard and the importance of medicine in which elements such as blood levels of fatty acids, genotype, and family history of asthma should be considered so as to target specific intervention strategies to those most likely to benefit.

Omega-3 supplements in pregnancy: maternal VitaDHA

VitaDHA Materna is a supplement a particularly suitable during pregnancy, based on DHA, EPA and folic acid. One tablet of VitaDHA Materna contains, in fact, as much as 350 milligrams of highly available omega-3 and 400 milligrams of folic acid. 

Source: Hans Bisgaard, et al. "FishOil-Derived Fatty Acids in Pregnancy and Wheeze and Asthma in Offspring." New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).