Fish Oil Intake May Prolong Pregnancy Duration

COPENHAGEN—In pregnant women with previous pregnancy complications, fish oil supplementation delayed onset of delivery in low- and middle-intake, but not in high-intake fish oil consumers, according to a Danish study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (DOI:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602609). Three groups of women: pregnant women with preterm delivery, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) or pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) in a previous pregnancy (group 1); with twin pregnancies (group 2); or with suspicion of IUGR or threatening pre-eclampsia in the current pregnancy (group 3) were stratified into low-, middle- or high fish oil-consumption trial groups. Groups 1 and 2 received fish oil capsules providing 2.7 g long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) per day from around week 20, while group 3 received 6.3 g n-3 PUFAs from week 33; the control group was given capsules with olive oil. Effect on timing of spontaneous delivery was examined by Cox regression, assuming elective delivery (occurring in 40 percent) as a censoring event. Analyses of effect of fish oil were intention to treat, and all analyses were adjusted for maternal smoking, age, and parity.

In group 1, fish oil reduced the hazard rate of spontaneous delivery (HR) by 44 percent and 39 percent in low and middle fish consumers, respectively, with no detectable effect in high fish consumers. In groups 2 and 3, no significant effect of fish oil was detected in any of the sub-strata defined by baseline fish consumption.

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