The effect of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on intelligence in low birth weight infant during lactation: A meta-analysis

Yuan Song; Ya Liu; Yun Pan; Xiaofeng Yuan; Pengyu Chang; Yuan Tian; Weiwei Cui; Dong Li

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0195662

The effect of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on intelligence in low birth weight infant during lactation: A meta-analysis

PLoS One. 2018 Apr 10;13(4):e0195662. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195662. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Yuan Song^{1

2}, Ya Liu¹, Yun Pan³, Xiaofeng Yuan⁴, Pengyu Chang⁵, Yuan Tian⁶, Weiwei Cui¹, Dong Li^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
² Department of Gastroenterology, Jilin Province People's Hospital, Changchun, China.
³ Tianqiao District of Ji'nan Food and Drug Administration, Ji'nan, Shandong Province, China.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.
⁵ Department of Radiotherapy, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
⁶ Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
⁷ Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
⁸ Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.

Abstract

Background: Low birth weight infant (LBWIs) are prone to mental and behavioural problems. As an important constituent of the brain and retina, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential for foetal infant mental and visual development. The effect of lactation supplemented with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) on the improvement of intelligence in low birth weight children requires further validation.

Methods: In this study, a comprehensive search of multiple databases was performed to identify studies focused the association between intelligence and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in LBWIs. Studies that compared the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) or the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence for Children (WISC) scores between LBWIs who were supplemented and controls that were not supplemented with LCPUFA during lactation were selected for inclusion in the meta-analysis.

Results: The main outcome was the mean difference in the mental development index (MDI) and psychomotor development index (PDI) of the BSID and the full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ), verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ) and performance intelligence quotient (PIQ) of the WISC between LBWIs and controls. Our findings indicated that the mean BSID or WISC scores in LBWIs did not differ between the supplemented groups and controls.

Conclusion: This meta-analysis does not reveal that LCPUFA supplementation has a significant impact on the level of intelligence in LBWIs.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Dietary Supplements*
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / chemistry*
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / pharmacology*
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant, Low Birth Weight / psychology*
Intelligence / drug effects*
Lactation*

Substances

Fatty Acids, Unsaturated

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81773412; 81501423) and the Norman Bethune Program of Jilin University (No. 2015223). The funding sources had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.