Growth patterns in infants born to women with pregestational overweight/obesity supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid during pregnancy

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundPrevious studies of maternal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy have controversial and contrasting results on the short and long‐term effects on early child growth. The impact of this nutritional intervention on the postnatal growth patterns in the offspring of women with pregestational overweight/obesity (PGO) also remains controversial.ObjectiveTo analyze the postnatal growth patterns during the first 4 months of life in the offspring of women with PGO randomly supplemented with 800 mg/day (PGO‐800) compared with normative doses of 200 mg/day (PGO‐200) of DHA during pregnancy (<15 weeks of gestation until delivery).MethodsThis study evaluated the growth patterns during the first 4 months of life of 169 infants of the women that participated in the MIGHT study (NCT02574767). We included the infants of women from the PGO‐200 (n = 81) and PGO‐800 group (n = 88). The growth patterns (weight, length, and head circumference) and change in z‐score (World health Organization charts) were evaluated.ResultsThroughout the first 4 months of life, the infants of the PGO‐800 group had lower weight‐for‐length z‐score (coef. −0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] −1.07, −0.22, p = 0.003) and lower body mass index‐for‐age z‐score (coef. −0.56, 95% CI −0.99, −0.12, p = 0.012) compared with the PGO‐200 group adjusted by maternal body mass index, gestational weight gain, gestational age, insulin in cord blood and infant feeding (exclusive breastfed, not breastfed, and partially breastfed).ConclusionsMaternal supplementation with DHA during pregnancy could beneficially limit the offspring's postnatal weight gain during the first 4 months of life.