Omega-3 consumed during pregnancy curbs risk for postpartum depression symptoms

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Contact: Suzanne Price

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Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

Study: Omega-3 consumed during pregnancy curbs risk for postpartum depression

symptoms

Fish has long been considered in myriad cultures to be " brain food, " but only

recently has bona fide science begun to support this deep-rooted belief.

Researchers now know that the omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish such as

salmon and herring may play a critical role in both development and maintenance

of the brain and nerves. Although sufficient amounts of these long-chain fats

can be synthesized endogenously by most adults, experts recommend that pregnant

women and infants get additional amounts of these compounds from their diets.

This, combined with research suggesting that these fats play a critical role in

cognitive and visual development during early life, has prompted much research

and product development aimed at pregnant women and newborn infants. Studies

have also suggested that higher consumption of certain omega-3 fatty acids may

also benefit adult mental health as well – for instance, as it might relate to

lower risk for depression.

Dr. Price Judge, a faculty member at the University of Connecticut

School of Nursing, is keenly interested in how omega-3 fatty acids consumed

during pregnancy impact both maternal and infant health. She has demonstrated

previously that maternal consumption of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; a prominent

omega-3 fatty acid) during pregnancy gives infants a developmental advantage

even 9 months after they are born. These findings prompted her to consider the

benefits that DHA could holistically have on the maternal-infant dyad.

Specifically, might greater omega-3 fatty acid intake during pregnancy lower

risk for postpartum depression, a condition that leads to a multitude of

problems including interruptions in maternal-infant attachment and subsequent

impairments in later infant development? As part of the scientific program of

the American Society for Nutrition, results from this study will be presented on

April 12 at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting in Washington, DC.

To answer this question, Dr. Judge oversaw a randomized, double-blind,

placebo-controlled dietary intervention trial in which 52 pregnant women took

either a placebo (corn oil) or a fish oil capsule containing 300 milligrams of

DHA 5 days each week from 24-40 weeks of pregnancy. This is the amount a woman

would consume if she ate about ½ serving of salmon. It is noteworthy that

dietary DHA intake during pregnancy has been estimated to be 50-70 milligrams of

DHA daily: a mere fraction of the 200 milligrams daily that is considered

optimal during pregnancy by most experts. Using the Postpartum Depression

Screening Scale developed by her colleague and coauthor Dr. Cheryl Beck, Judge

was able to categorize postpartum women as having negligible depressive

symptoms, significant symptoms of postpartum depression, or being " positive " for

this condition. The Postpartum Depression Screening Scale also assisted the

research team in discerning between several symptoms specific to the disorder

including sleeping/eating disturbances, anxiety, emotional liability, confusion,

loss of self, guilt, and thoughts of suicide.

Although the study did not have enough women to investigate if fish oil

consumption resulted in a lower incidence of diagnosable postpartum depression,

women in the treatment group had significantly lower total Postpartum Depression

Screening Scale scores, with significantly fewer symptoms common to postpartum

depression. For example, compared to those in the control group, women in the

fish oil group were less likely to report symptoms related to anxiety and loss

of self.

Judge and coworkers concluded " DHA consumption during pregnancy – at levels

that are reasonably attained from foods – has the potential to decrease

symptoms of postpartum depression. " Why is this important? For starters, some

experts estimate that postpartum depression affects a whopping 25% of new

mothers. And healthcare providers agree that this condition can have devastating

consequences, not only for the women experiencing it but also for their children

and family.

The bottom line? Although larger-scale intervention studies will be needed to

better understand the mechanisms and magnitude by which fish oil consumption can

improve postpartum mental health, women would be wise to eat at least a serving

of high-omega-3 fish 2-3 days per week. Although fish oil supplements may be

more acceptable to some women, the real thing is clearly the more nutritious

option as a serving of fish is also protein- and mineral-rich. Clearly, fish as

a " brain food " is gaining the nod from not only from the general public, but

scientists as well.

###

Dr. Price Judge (University of Connecticut), Dr. Cheryl Beck

(University of Connecticut), Dr. Holiday Durham (Louisiana State University),

Michele Mckelvey (University of Connecticut), and Dr. Carol Lammi-Keefe

(Louisiana State University) were coauthors on this paper.

This study was funded by the and Weldon Donaghue Medical

Research Foundation.

About Experimental Biology 2011

Experimental Biology is an annual gathering of six scientific societies that

this year is expected to draw 13,000-plus independent scientists and exhibitors.

The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) is a co-sponsor of the meeting along

with the American Association of Anatomists (AAA), American Society for

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), American Society for Investigative

Pathology (ASIP), American Physiological Society (APS) and the American Society

for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET).

About the American Society for Nutrition

The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) is the preeminent professional

organization for nutrition research scientists and clinicians around the world.

ASN is dedicated to bringing together the top nutrition researchers, medical

practitioners, policy makers and industry leaders to advance our knowledge and

application of nutrition. Founded in 1928, ASN publishes The American Journal of

Clinical Nutrition (AJCN), The Journal of Nutrition (JN), and Advances in

Nutrition and provides a wide range of education and professional development

opportunities to advance nutrition research, practice, and education. Visit ASN

online at www.nutrition.org.