DHA Improves the Attendance Rate of Children in School

Objective

A study was conducted to assess the effects of omega 3 fatty acids like DHA on behavior and school attendance rates in school children it also assessed whether omega 3 FA administration decreased clinically apparent sick days from malaria as an independent endpoint.

Hostility-Aggression Questionnaire for Children (HAQ-C) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, version 11 (BIS-11), for measurement of aggression and impulsivity, respectively were administered at the start and end of the study.School attendance was recorded during the study period.

DHA Improves the Attendance Rate of Children in School
Results

he DHA and EPA concentrations in the total phospholipid fraction in red blood cells were significantly increased in the DHA group, whereas there were no significant changes in any fatty acids concentrations in the control group.

 The odds ratios of inability to attend school perfectly during the study period in the DHA group were significantly reduced to 0.30 in boys (n=116, p=0.003) and was non-significantly to 0.56 in girls (n=117, p=0.2) compared with the control group. When both sexes were combined, the odd ratio in the DHA group was reduced to 0.42 compared with controls (n=233, p=0.003).

Conclusion

DHA supplementation may improve the school attendance rate of children.

Source

Hamazaki K, Syafruddin D, Tunru IS, et al. The effects of docosahexaenoic acid-rich fish oil on behavior, school attendance rate and malaria infection in school children-a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Lampung, Indonesia. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17(2):258-63.

DHA Improves Listening Comprehension and Vocabulary Acquisition

Objective

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was conducted to assess the effects of DHA supplementation of healthy preschool children on their cognitive functions like listening comprehension and vocabulary acquisition.

Study population

175 healthy 4-year-old children

Length of study

4 months

Intervention

400-mg/d DHA (n=85) or matching placebo (n = 90) in capsules

Cognitive tests included the Leiter-R Test of Sustained Attention, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Day-Night Stroop Test, and Conners' Kiddie Continuous Performance Test. The relationship between DHA levels in blood from a subsample (n=93) with cognitive test scores was evaluated.

Results
  • Mean capillary whole blood content of DHA in the DHA group increased by more than 300% (P < .0001), whereas placebo group remained low
  • Regression analysis, yielded a statistically significant positive (P =0.018) association between the blood level of docosahexaenoic acid and higher scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, a test of listening comprehension and vocabulary acquisition
Conclusion

There was supportive evidence and promising results for a significant relation between higher DHA levels in blood and improved scores on a test of listening comprehension and vocabulary in healthy preschool children.

Source

Ryan AS, Nelson EB. Assessing the effect of docosahexaenoic acid on cognitive functions in healthy, preschool children: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2008;47(4):355-62.

DHA Improves Reading, Cognition and Behavior in School Children

Objective

Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Oxford Learning and Behavior (DOLAB) trial is a parallel group, fixed-dose, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial (RCT) conducted to assess the effects of algal DHA supplementation on reading, working memory and behavior in healthy school children.

DHA Improves Reading, Cognition and Behavior in School Children
Results
  • Algal DHA supplementation significantly improved reading (standardized scores) as depicted in Fig.1.
  • Algal DHA supplementation led to an additional 1.9 month gain in reading age (approximately 50% greater than expected) in children with baseline reading scores <10th percentile.
  • Algal DHA supplementation showed a trend towards better scores on working memory.
  • Parent-rated behavior problems (ADHD-type symptoms) were significantly reduced by algal DHA treatment
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Conclusion

This study provides the first evidence that dietary supplementation with DHA is a safe and effective way to improve learning and behavior in healthy children from the general school population. The supplement was found to be safe and well tolerated.

Source

Richardson AJ, Burton JR, Sewell RP, et al. Docosahexaenoic acid for reading, cognition and behavior in children aged 7-9 years: A randomized, controlled trial (the DOLAB Study). PLoS One.2012;7(9):e43909.

Potentially Beneficial Effects of DHA on the Child's Eye and Hand Coordination

Objective

This study was conducted to assess the effects of antenatal omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 LC PUFA) on cognitive development in a cohort of children whose mothers received high-dose omega-3 fatty acids in pregnancy.

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Study population

98 pregnant women (their infants (n=72) were assessed at age 2(1/2) years)

Length of study

20 weeks’ gestation until delivery.

Intervention

Omega-3 fatty acids (2.2 gm docosahexae- noic acid (DHA) and 1.1 gm eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/day) or olive oil from 20 weeks' gestation until delivery.

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in pregnancy shows potentially beneficial effects on child’s eye and hand coordination

Results
  • Children in the omega-3 FA supplemented group (n = 33) attained a significantly higher score for eye and hand coordination (mean ((SD) score 114 (10.2)) than those in the placebo group (n = 39, mean score 108 (SD 11.3); p = 0.021, adjusted p = 0.008) (see Fig.1).
  • Eye and hand coordination scores correlated with n-3 PUFA levels in cord blood erythrocytes (EPA: r = 0.320, p = 0.007; DHA: r = 0.308, p = 0.009) and inversely correlated with n-6 PUFA (arachidonic acid 20:4n-6: r = -0.331, p =0.005).
Conclusion

Maternal omega-3 FA supplementation during pregnancy is safe for the fetus and infant, and may have potentially beneficial effects on the child's eye and hand coordination.

Source

Dunstan JA, Simmer K, Dixon G, et al. Cognitive assessment of children at age 2(1/2) years after maternal fish oil supplementation in pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2008;93(1):F45-50.

DHA is Beneficial in Reducing Illness in School Children

Objective

Several studies have demonstrated that supplementation with micronutrients (MNs) or n-3 fatty acids offer health benefits such as reduced illness in school children. This particular study was conducted to determine the effect of a combination of two different doses of micronutrients and n-3 fatty acids on incidence of diseases in school children.

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Intervention

Foods fortified with either high (100% recommended dietary allowance) or low (15% recommended dietary allowance) MN, combined with either high (900 mg r-linolenic acid (ALA) plus 100 mg docosahexaenoic acid) or low (140 mg ALA) n-3 fatty acids for 1 year.

Results
  • Compared to children receiving low n-3 fatty acid intervention; children consuming high n-3 fatty acids had significantly fewer episodes of URTI/child/year (relative risk (RR) =0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79, 0.97) (see Fig.1).
  • Children consuming high n-3 fatty acids had significantly shorter duration/episode of URTI (RR=0.81, 95% CI: 0.78, 0.85), LRTI (RR=0.91, 95% CI: 0.85, 0.97), GI complaints (RR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.85) and general symptoms (RR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.82, 0.98).
  • The duration of general symptoms was significantly reduced in children who received high micronutrients.
Conclusion

High dose of n-3 fatty acids, including 900mg ALA and 100mg DHA reduces the duration of diseases and the incidence of URTI compared with a low dose of n-3 fatty acids of 140mg ALA in school children.

Source

Thomas T, Eilander A, Muthayya S, et al. The effect of a 1-year multiple micronutrient or n-3 fatty acid fortified food intervention on morbidity in Indian school children. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2012;66(4):452-8.