Pregnancy supplements: DHA protects the newborn from iron deficiency and the risk of anemia
Supplementation with omega-3s during gestation helps prevent iron-deficiency anemia in newborns, a dangerous condition for their development. According to a new study, DHA may influence certain biochemical mechanisms, which are altered in perinatal anemia, by facilitating iron transport across the placenta and absorption by the fetus, with a beneficial and lasting impact on neonatal growth.
This was reported in a study published in the Journal of Functional Foods, conducted by researchers at the University of Granada (Spain ) and King's College London (UK).
Iron deficiency anemia
Iron deficiency, is one of the most serious and important nutritional deficiencies, particularly because of the anemia it can cause. During pregnancy, iron deficiency is associated with an increased likelihood of problems for both mother and baby, including an increased risk of hemorrhage, sepsis, maternal and perinatal mortality, and low birth weight of the baby. According to the World Health Organization, iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy, affects 40-50% of predisposed women and their babies. Several studies have shown that women who consume little fish and seafood and make heavy use of vegetable oils, which are rich in omega-6, are at risk of omega-3 deficiency. Both iron and omega-3 are essential nutrients for normal fetal development, to which they are transferred from the mother.
As is well known, DHA plays an important role in the growth and function of neurons by modulating the physical properties of biological membranes and the transmission of nerve signals. Iron enables the proper functioning of numerous enzymes involved in cell division, neurotransmitter formation, and cognitive functioning. Iron deficiency in early life thus impairs cognitive development, motor development, and language development. Iron deficiency in children is associated with lower levels of DHA in blood cells. In some animal research, this condition during gestation and lactation causes changes in the fatty acid composition of brain, liver, and blood cells in infants. Iron and DHA, are thus two of the essential nutrients during gestation and infant development, and the two molecules may influence each other, but the interactions have been poorly studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a milk drink containing omega-3, in the last trimester, on iron metabolism at the level of the placenta.
DHA facilitates iron metabolism
The study, published in recent months, was the first to establish a link between maternal supplementation with DHA and improved iron metabolism in the fetus. To understand the beneficial effects of DHA on iron absorption and passage into the placenta, researchers examined the factors and interactions that modify the formation of proteins in the nutrient transport system, maintaining proper iron metabolism. The results demonstrated a beneficial effect ofmaternal supplementation with DHA on iron metabolism through the trophoblast, the highly vascularized tissue of the placenta that invades the wall of the uterus and allow nutrients to circulate between the fetus and the mother. In particular, DHA appears to contribute to increased expression of certain genes that regulate iron transport across the placenta. Omega-3 DHA could also improve iron stores before birth and help prevent future postnatal deficiencies that could cause damage to the child's cognitive development.
Study details
To arrive at the conclusions described, scientists at the University of Granada and London involved 110 pregnant women from 28 weeks' gestation until birth. The women were randomly divided into two groups: one group was given 400 ml a day (in two doses of 200) of milk enriched with tuna oil, containing 26.5 percent DHA and 6.5 percent EPA. In contrast, the control group received 400 ml per day of a beverage without omega-3. Each woman's diet was evaluated using specific food questionnaires.
Fish oil supplements promote neonatal development
According to the researchers who conducted the study, these results suggest that the change in fatty acid profile, possible through maternal supplementation with omega-3, influences and improves those biochemical mechanisms altered in perinatal anemia, with a beneficial and lasting impact on the baby's development. As suggested by Javier Díaz Castro and Julio José Ochoa Herrera, the lead authors of this paper, maternal supplementation with DHA may be a useful nutritional strategy not only in the baby's cognitive and visual development, but also in preventing the risk of anemia. In addition, supplementation could prevent anemia-related complications, including low birth weight and delayed cognitive development.
VitaDHA Materna: a perfect supplement in pregnancy
VitaDHA Materna is a dietary supplement, dedicated to the health of both mother and baby, due to its content of DHA, which contributes to the normal development of the fetus' brain and eyesight, and folic acid, a vitamin important, among other things, for the prevention of some serious congenital malformations.
Source: Javier Diaz-Castro et al. "DHA supplementation: A nutritional strategy to improve prenatal Fe homeostasis and prevent birth outcomes related with Fe-deficiency." Journal of Functional Foods Volume 19, Part A, December 2015, Pages 385-393
