Maternal n-3 PUFA Intake During Pregnancy and Perinatal Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review of Recent Evidence

The objective of this review was to provide an updated review on the association of antenatal n-3 PUFA intake via different sources (seafood, fish, overall diet, and supplementation) with perinatal mental health problems including depression, anxiety, and psychological distress.Recent FindingsSearches were performed in Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and APA PsycInfo databases on 21 June 2021. A total of 2133 records were screened. Data including the name of the first author, publication year, study design, sample characteristics, dietary assessment time and tools, mental health outcome measures, and other relevant information were extracted. In total, 13 articles were included in this review and assessed qualitatively. The results demonstrated that dietary intake of n-3 PUFA during pregnancy was associated with perinatal mental health, but the effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation was influenced by pre-existing medical conditions, socio-demographic characteristics, and dietary and lifestyle patterns during pregnancy.SummaryOur review found that sources of n-3 PUFA may have differential effects on woman ’s mental health during and after pregnancy. Further research using large-size cohort or well-controlled trial protocol is needed to determine the effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation during pregnancy on perinatal mental health.
Source: Current Nutrition Reports - Category: Nutrition Source Type: research