据10月20日刊《美国医学会杂志》上的一项研究披露，与某些研究的发现和建议相反（那些研究的发现及建议是，因为DHA可能对人体有益，孕妇应该通过服用鱼油而增加饮食中的二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）的摄入），一项包括有2000多名妇女的随机试验发现，服用DHA补充剂不会导致母亲的产后抑郁症水平的下降或使她们的孩子在孩提时代的早期认知和语言发育得到改善。

文章的作者写道：“美国和欧洲的流行病学调查证明，在怀孕期间增加摄取来自鱼和海鲜中的n-3长链多不饱和脂肪酸（LCPUFA）与降低母亲产后抑郁症风险以及改善孩子的发育结果有关。”

本文的作者陈述道：“尽管证据很少，但有关在妊娠期间增加DHA摄取的建议却是存在的，而营养补充剂产业也成功地在市场上推出了产前DHA补充剂以使母亲和婴儿的脑功能达到最佳化。在妊娠期间服用DHA补充剂广泛流行之前，重要的是，人们不仅需要知道这些补充剂是否有益处，而且也需要知道它对母亲或孩子是否存在任何的风险。”

澳大利亚阿德莱德的妇女及儿童健康研究所的Maria Makrides, B.Sc., B.N.D., Ph.D.及其同事开展了一个多中心、随机对照的试验以评估在妊娠的后半段时间服用DHA补充剂是否可降低母亲情绪抑郁的风险及改善孩子早期的认知功能发育。这项在5家澳大利亚妇产科医院开展的研究包括了2399名妊娠不到21周的妇女，她们是在2005年10月至2008年1月期间被招募到该项研究中的。对孩子（n=726）的跟踪是在2009年12月完成的。该研究中的妇女或是接受了富含DHA鱼油胶囊（DHA的供应量为每天800毫克）或是接受了与其匹配的不含DHA的植物油胶囊。在参加该研究的2399名妇女之中，有96.7%的人完成了这项试验。

研究人员发现，在产后头6个月中报告罹患严重抑郁症状的妇女的百分比在服用DHA组及对照组之间没有明显差别（9.67% vs. 11.19%） 。在试验期间新被诊断患有抑郁症的妇女百分比或需要治疗的妇女百分比在两组之间也没有差别。

那些被分在服用DHA组的妇女的孩子与那些来自对照组妇女的孩子的平均认知评分也没有差别。其它的诸如运动发育和社会-情绪性行为等发育结果在2组之间总的来说也无差别。

英文摘要：

JAMA. 2010;304(15):1675-1683. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.1507

Effect of DHA Supplementation During Pregnancy on Maternal Depression and Neurodevelopment of Young Children
Maria Makrides, BSc, BND, PhD; Robert A. Gibson, BSc, PhD; Andrew J. McPhee, MBBS; Lisa Yelland, BSc; Julie Quinlivan, MBBS, PhD; Philip Ryan, MBBS, BSc; and the DOMInO Investigative Team

Context  Uncertainty about the benefits of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for pregnant women and their children exists, despite international recommendations that pregnant women increase their DHA intakes.

Objective  To determine whether increasing DHA during the last half of pregnancy will result in fewer women with high levels of depressive symptoms and enhance the neurodevelopmental outcome of their children.

Design, Setting, and Participants  A double-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial (DHA to Optimize Mother Infant Outcome [DOMInO] trial) in 5 Australian maternity hospitals of 2399 women who were less than 21 weeks' gestation with singleton pregnancies and who were recruited between October 31, 2005, and January 11, 2008. Follow-up of children (n = 726) was completed December 16, 2009.

Intervention  Docosahexaenoic acid–rich fish oil capsules (providing 800 mg/d of DHA) or matched vegetable oil capsules without DHA from study entry to birth.

Main Outcome Measures  High levels of depressive symptoms in mothers as indicated by a score of more than 12 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 6 weeks or 6 months postpartum. Cognitive and language development in children as assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition, at 18 months.

Results  Of 2399 women enrolled, 96.7% completed the trial. The percentage of women with high levels of depressive symptoms during the first 6 months postpartum did not differ between the DHA and control groups (9.67% vs 11.19%; adjusted relative risk, 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-1.02; P = .09). Mean cognitive composite scores (adjusted mean difference, 0.01; 95% CI, –1.36 to 1.37; P = .99) and mean language composite scores (adjusted mean difference, –1.42; 95% CI, –3.07 to 0.22; P = .09) of children in the DHA group did not differ from children in the control group.

Conclusion  The use of DHA-rich fish oil capsules compared with vegetable oil capsules during pregnancy did not result in lower levels of postpartum depression in mothers or improved cognitive and language development in their offspring during early childhood.