Effect of antenatal omega-3 supplementation on maternal depressive symptoms from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial
Nutr Neurosci. 2022 May 2:1-9. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2022.2068877. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted with sixty pregnant women to evaluate the effect of antenatal omega-3 supplementation on maternal depressive symptoms from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum.
METHODS: Participants with gestational age between 22 and 24 weeks were randomized in placebo (olive oil; n = 30) or omega-3 (fish oil; n = 30) groups and supplemented until childbirth. Fish oil capsules provided 1440 mg/day of docosahexaenoic acid. Depressive symptoms were evaluated during the gestational period: (G1) 22-24 weeks; (G2) 26-28 weeks; (G3) 30-32 weeks; (G4) 34-36 weeks; and postpartum: (P1) second week; (P2) first month; (P3) fourth month; and (P4) sixth month, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were performed using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE).
RESULTS: Comparison between groups showed no differences in the EPDS score at any time during pregnancy or postpartum, in both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis (p > 0.05). Both groups presented a reduction in the EPDS score over time. According to intention-to-treat analysis, when comparing to the baseline, the placebo group showed a reduction in the EPDS score at P1 and P4, while the omega-3 group showed a reduction at all times from G4 to P4. In per-protocol analysis, the placebo group showed a reduction in the EPDS score at P3, while the omega-3 group showed a reduction at all times from G2 to P4.
CONCLUSIONS: The supplementation with omega-3 did not promote significant differences between groups. However, an earlier reduction in the EPDS score was observed in the omega-3 group, which may indicate a benefit of antenatal omega-3 supplementation.
PMID:35499912 | DOI:10.1080/1028415X.2022.2068877