Children’s docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), but not maternal DHA in pregnancy, is associated with psychometric tests scores at 5‐6 years of age (124.2)

Abstract

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an important component of neural lipids, affecting neural function throughout life. However, the dietary, genetic and other variables that impact DHA transfer to the brain, and the potential for early deficiency to have lasting effects remains unclear. We addressed the effect of DHA in gestation and children’s intake and blood lipid DHA on cognition at 5.75 years of age. Pregnant women, n=271 were enrolled at 16 weeks gestation and randomized to 400 mg DHA/day or placebo until infant delivery; 95 children returned for follow up, and were assessed with 153 additional children. Diet was assessed using 3 day records and frequency questionnaires, and venous blood was collected. Cognitive tests included the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC). The median (IQR) DHA intake was 49.4 (23.8‐102) mg/day. The red blood cell mean ± SD DHA was 5.14 ± 1.50 percent total fatty acids. No evidence of persisting effects of DHA in pregnancy on child development were found. Children’s own DHA status, but not DHA intake, was associated with better PPVT and KABC Sequential, Learning, Simultaneous, and Mental Performance scores (P <0.05). Child blood lipid 22:5n‐6 and the 22:5n‐6/DHA ratio were associated with poorer PPVT and KABC performance. DHA intake explained only 15% of variability in RBC DHA, raising complex questions on the relationship between diet, DHA transfer to membrane lipids, and neural function.