Taking omega-3 DHA during pregnancy does not boost children's cognition and language at 4 years of age

Aim: To describe neurodevelopmental outcomes in the children at four years of age, born to mothers participating in the Domino trial of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation during pregnancy.

Methods: Children previously participating in assessment at 18 months of age participated in another assessment at 4 years of age. The main outcome was a General Conceptual Ability (GCA) score. Secondary outcomes included executive functioning and language.

Results: 646 children were included in the study. There were no differences between the two groups for any of the cognitive outcomes.

Conclusions: These data suggest that DHA supplementation during pregnancy does not influence objective assessment ofcognition, language and executive function in preschool-aged children.

Reference: Makrides M, Gould J, Gawlik N, Yelland L, Smithers L, Anderson P, Gibson R. Four-year follow-up of children born to women in a randomized trial of prenatal DHA supplementation. (Research letter) JAMA 2014 311:17 1802-4.