TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Supplementation of Preterm Infants on Growth, Body Composition, and Blood Pressure at 7-Years Corrected Age
T2 - Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial
AU - Best, Karen P.
AU - Sullivan, Thomas R.
AU - Gunaratne, Anoja W.
AU - Gould, Jacqueline F.
AU - Gibson, Robert A.
AU - Collins, Carmel T.
AU - Makrides, Maria
AU - Green, Tim J.
PY - 2023/1/2
Y1 - 2023/1/2
N2 - Aim: To determine if supplementation of infants born <33 weeks’ gestation with higher dose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) affects growth, body composition, and blood pressure at 7 y corrected age (CA) and if treatment effects differed by infant sex at birth and birth weight strata (<1250 and ≥1250 g). Methods: Seven-year follow-up of an Australian multicenter randomized controlled trial in which 657 infants were fed high-DHA (≈1% total fatty acids) enteral feeds or standard-DHA (≈0.3% total fatty acids) from age 2–4 d until term CA. Seven-year CA outcomes were growth (weight, height), body composition (lean body mass, fat mass, waist, and hip circumference), and blood pressure. Results: There was no effect of high-DHA enteral feeds compared with standard-DHA on growth, body composition, and blood pressure at 7-year CA either overall or in subgroup analysis by sex. There was a significant interaction between high-DHA and birthweight strata on height at 7-y CA (p = 0.03). However, the post-hoc analyses by birthweight strata did not reach significance (p > 0.1). High-DHA group infants were more likely to be classified as obese (relative risk 1.6 (95% CI 1.0, 2.6); p = 0.05). Conclusions: DHA supplementation of premature infants did not affect growth, body composition, or blood pressure at 7-year CA overall by sex and birthweight strata. The finding of a higher risk of obesity in children who receive high-DHA needs to be interpreted with caution due to the small number of children classified as obese.
AB - Aim: To determine if supplementation of infants born <33 weeks’ gestation with higher dose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) affects growth, body composition, and blood pressure at 7 y corrected age (CA) and if treatment effects differed by infant sex at birth and birth weight strata (<1250 and ≥1250 g). Methods: Seven-year follow-up of an Australian multicenter randomized controlled trial in which 657 infants were fed high-DHA (≈1% total fatty acids) enteral feeds or standard-DHA (≈0.3% total fatty acids) from age 2–4 d until term CA. Seven-year CA outcomes were growth (weight, height), body composition (lean body mass, fat mass, waist, and hip circumference), and blood pressure. Results: There was no effect of high-DHA enteral feeds compared with standard-DHA on growth, body composition, and blood pressure at 7-year CA either overall or in subgroup analysis by sex. There was a significant interaction between high-DHA and birthweight strata on height at 7-y CA (p = 0.03). However, the post-hoc analyses by birthweight strata did not reach significance (p > 0.1). High-DHA group infants were more likely to be classified as obese (relative risk 1.6 (95% CI 1.0, 2.6); p = 0.05). Conclusions: DHA supplementation of premature infants did not affect growth, body composition, or blood pressure at 7-year CA overall by sex and birthweight strata. The finding of a higher risk of obesity in children who receive high-DHA needs to be interpreted with caution due to the small number of children classified as obese.
KW - blood pressure
KW - body composition
KW - docosahexaenoic acid
KW - growth
KW - preterm infant
KW - ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146801688&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/NHMRC/250322
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/NHMRC/508003
U2 - 10.3390/nu15020335
DO - 10.3390/nu15020335
M3 - Article
C2 - 36678206
AN - SCOPUS:85146801688
SN - 2072-6643
VL - 15
JO - Nutrients
JF - Nutrients
IS - 2
M1 - 335
ER -