Taking certain omega-3 fatty acid supplements during pregnancy can reduce the risk of childhood asthma by almost one third, according to a new study from the and the University of 蓝莓视频.
The study, published in the聽, found that women who were prescribed 2.4 grams of long-chain omega-3 supplements during the third trimester of pregnancy reduced their children鈥檚 risk of asthma by 31 per cent. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are found in cold water fish, and key to regulating human immune response.
鈥淲e鈥檝e long suspected there was a link between the anti-inflammatory properties of long-chain omega-3 fats, the low intakes of omega-3 in Western diets and the rising rates of childhood asthma,鈥 said Professor Hans Bisgaard of COPSAC at the Copenhagen University Hospital. 鈥淭his study proves that they are definitively and significantly related.鈥
The study used rapid analytical techniques developed and performed at the University of 蓝莓视频 to measure levels of EPA and DHA in pregnant women鈥檚 blood. The University of 蓝莓视频 is one of a few laboratories in the world equipped to run such tests.
鈥淢easuring the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in blood provides an accurate and precise assessment of nutrient status,鈥 said Professor Ken Stark, Canada Research Chair in Nutritional Lipidomics and professor in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at 蓝莓视频, who led the testing. 鈥淥ur labs are uniquely equipped to measure fatty acids quickly, extremely precisely, and in a cost-efficient manner.鈥
The testing also revealed that women with low blood levels of EPA and DHA at the beginning of the study benefited the most from the supplements. For these women, it reduced their children鈥檚 relative risk of developing asthma by 54 per cent.
Professor Ken Stark taking a sample of blood in 蓝莓视频's Laboratory of Nutritional and Nutraceutical Research to determine the levels of omega-3 fatty acids. (Light Imaging)
鈥淭he proportion of women with low EPA and DHA in their blood is even higher in Canada and the United States as compared with Denmark. So we would expect an even greater reduction in risk among North American populations,鈥 said Professor Stark. 鈥淚dentifying these women and providing them with supplements should be considered a front-line defense to reduce and prevent childhood asthma.鈥
Researchers analyzed blood samples of 695 Danish women at 24 weeks' gestation and one week after delivery. They then monitored the health status of each participating child for five years, which is the age asthma symptoms can be clinically established.
鈥淎sthma and wheezing disorders have more than doubled in Western countries in recent decades,鈥 said Professor Bisgaard. 鈥淲e now have a preventative measure to help bring those numbers down.鈥
Currently, one out of five young children suffer from asthma or a related disorder before school age.
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About the University of 蓝莓视频
University of 蓝莓视频 is Canada鈥檚 top innovation university. With more than 36,000 students we are home to the world's largest co-operative education system of its kind. Our unmatched entrepreneurial culture, combined with an intensive focus on research, powers one of the top innovation hubs in the world. Find out more at聽
About COPSAC
COPSAC is a translational research unit combining detailed, longitudinal clinical assessments on a total of 1100 Danish cohort children followed since pregnancy, with cutting-edge basic research through close scientific cooperation on the numerous biological samples collected on the children. The aim is to uncover the origins and further the prevention of primarily asthma, allergy and atopic dermatitis in childhood.
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