Subgroup analyses of a randomized trial of DHA supplementation for infants born preterm with assessments of cognitive development up to 7-years of age: what happens in infants born < 29 weeks ’ gestation?

Omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n −3) is prominent in neural tissue and accumulates in the brain throughout the last trimester of pregnancy.[1,2] Infants born very preterm (before or at the transition to the last trimester of pregnancy) have lower levels of neural tissue DHA,[1,2] and have an increased risk of cognitive impairment s [3,4] as well as behavioral problems [5] and intelligence quotient (IQ) scores that are generally 10-12 points lower [4,6,7] compared with term-born infants.
Source: Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Tags: Original research article Source Type: research