Supplements in pregnancy, DHA promotes the development of lean body mass in children
Following DHA supplementation during pregnancy can influence the body composition of the children who will be born, suggesting how a maternal diet rich in omega-3s can have favorable effects on the fetus, which continue into early childhood. Mothers who consumed daily supplements with 600 milligrams of DHA during gestation were, in fact, more likely to have children with greater lean mass at age five than those who did not follow supplementation.
The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was carried out by a team of researchers at Kansas University (USA), led by Professor Susan Carson.
Ghe polyunsaturated fatty acids help proper fetal development
Omega-3 DHA and omega-6 Arachidonic Acid are the major long-chain fatty acids in cell membranes and are implicated in the proper development of the fetal nervous system. Both are key nutrients as they play an important role in the control of inflammation and stem cell differentiation. During fetal development, a particular type of cells called mesenchymal stem cells will give rise to different tissues such as adipose and muscle tissue. This critical time of growth has long-term implications and is critical for good health during growth because the number of muscle fibers is fixed from birth.
Considering, moreover, that DHA inhibits the differentiation of fat cells, it is likely that the reduction in the ratio of maternal Arachidonic Acid to DHA may influence body composition in infancy by regulating the percentage of lean mass and fat mass in the child. Fat mass is represented by adipose tissue, which is a tissue formed by particular cells, adipocytes, that accumulate triglycerides, while lean mass represents the remaining portion of the body, which therefore also includes water and muscle.
Some previous studies have shown that infant formula containing DHA and Arachidonic Acid increases lean mass and reduces fat mass in 1-year-old children born preterm, demonstrating that omega-3 in the very early stage of fetal development can influence body composition. Other more recent studies have found an association between intrauterine exposure to DHA and offspring body composition during infancy, showing either higher lean mass or a low percentage of fat mass.
Supplements in pregnancy: DHA may affect body fat and baby's health
The new study investigated the effect of DHA supplements in pregnancy, on lean mass and fat mass, showing that the use of supplements during gestation was associated with a higher likelihood of having children with a higher percentage of muscle tissue, compared with those born to women who had not taken the treatment. According to the researchers, this result shows that increasing maternal DHA consumption with supplements during pregnancy can have favorable effects on the fetus that continue into infancy. According to Professor Carlson's statement, "DHA can be administered to the fetus by increasing maternal consumption during gestation and breastfeeding."
This suggestion is very important, especially considering that omega-3 consumption in the general population is quite low in many industrialized countries. According to a co-author of the study, Professor Colombo, this study has two important implications: the first relates to the effects of DHA, which for years has been associated with proper visual, cognitive, and behavioral development in early childhood, but now appears to have a role in promoting slimmer growth and healthier children.
The other important suggestion of these findings is that the conditions to which the fetus is exposed during the period of pregnancy can influence the child's physical characteristics until almost six years later. This is further confirmation in the field of scientific developmental research, which has been gathering evidence for years on how the prenatal environment can have a long-term effect on growth and how one's life can be strongly influenced or determined by what happens before birth.
Some study details
To carry out the research, the research team involved about 360 pregnant women with low-risk pregnancies residing in the Kansas City area between March 2006 and September 2009. Half of the participants were randomly assigned a prenatal supplement of 600 milligrams of DHA, while the remainder were given a placebo. Five years later, children born from those pregnancies were examined by testing body weight, height, BMI (Body Mass Index) body fat weight and body fat weight, and the percentage of these two using very accurate methods.
The team found that children whose mothers had consumed DHA during gestation had about a pound more, on average, lean mass and the same amount of fat than the group that had taken the placebo. There was, however, no significant evidence of the effect of DHA pregnancy supplements on the other measures collected.
A mechanism that remains to be clarified
The research results showed a link between pregnancy supplementation with DHA and the percentage of lean mass in 5-year-old children, confirming data from a previous study conducted in the United Kingdom. Although the mechanism behind this finding is unclear to the researchers, it is known that the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids early in development can influence the balance between muscle and fat cells in accordance with the hypothesis that the amount of muscle fibers is already established by birth.
Source: Brandon H Hidaka, et al "Intrauterine DHA exposure and child body composition at 5 y: exploratory analysis of a randomized controlled trial of prenatal DHA supplementation" The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 107, Issue 1, 35-42.
