Research Summary Archives

Several observational studies have reported that infants and children of mothers who had higher intakes of fish or n-3 LC-PUFAs in pregnancy score higher on cognitive and behavioral tests than children of mothers with low intakes. In the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, the children ...

The effects of maternal diet and nutrition during pregnancy may reach into adulthood in the offspring. For example, maternal under- or over-nutrition and diabetes have been associated with greater adiposity in the child. Catchup growth after intrauterine growth restriction has been associated with a...

Factors associated with childhood obesity may relate to conditions in utero. For instance, maternal obesity in pregnancy and excess gestational weight gain have been associated with greater fat mass and percent body fat in the neonate. As suggested in the preceding article, a child’s greater f...

The incidence of asthma has been increasing worldwide and now affects about 193 million individuals globally. In Denmark, the prevalence of asthma doubled from 5.3% to 11.7% over the period from 1986 to 2001. Recognized as a heterogeneous condition, asthma often follows persistent childhood wheeze. ...

Evidence for a relationship between a mother’s consumption of fish, especially fatty fish, during pregnancy and the risk of her child developing asthma in childhood is inconsistent. Consumption of fish oil during pregnancy was associated with a significantly lower rate of allergic asthma at age 16 y...

The prevalence of asthma in the U.S. increased from 7.3 to 8.2% during 2001 to 2009, and now afflicts about 25 million persons, or one in 12. On a global basis, some 193 million adults suffer from asthma. The prevalence is highest in the Americas and among poor U.S. children at 13.5%. Only about one...

One of the advantages of breastfeeding may be a lower risk that the child will develop symptoms of allergic disease. Studies have reported a lower occurrence of asthma in breastfed Canadian, U.S. and Dutch children, but one study reported a higher risk of asthma and wheeze in breastfed children whos...

To evaluate whether long-chain omega-3 fatty acids might improve the occurrence or symptoms of allergic disease in infants at high risk of these conditions, investigators have often provided the omega-3s through the mother’s diet. It is generally believed that the earlier an infant is exposed to the...

Brain function depends on having all its systems working well together. Damage to the brain from injury or disease, impaired production of transmitter molecules or insufficient amounts of substances needed for brain responses are some ways brain function can go awry. DHA, a long-chain omega-3 fatty ...

The importance of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in brain development and learning is well known. Less clear are the effects of these fatty acids on specific outcomes, such as language development. Some studies have reported no differences in vocabulary or language development with h...

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a common childhood behavioral disorder, may be increasing. Worldwide, ADHD affects about 8% to 12% of school-age children, with some estimates closer to 5%. In the U.S., the prevalence increased from 7.5% to 9.0% from 2001 to 2007. As the criteria for...

Many studies have explored the effects of increased intake of n-3 LC-PUFAs on the occurrence and symptoms of allergic disease, especially in infants at high risk of developing atopy. Most research has examined the outcomes of maternal supplementation with these fatty acids during pregnancy. As descr...