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Fish consumption, erythrocyte fatty acids, and preterm birth
Mark A Klebanoff1, Margaret Harper, Yinglei Lai
1*For a list of other members of the NICHD MFMU, see the Appendix online at http://links.lww.com/AOG/A235. From the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland; The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; The George Washington University Biostatistics Center, Washington, DC; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan; University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, Utah; Columbia University, New York, New York; University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Women and Infants Hospital, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois; Case Western Reserve University-MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio; Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; University of Texas at Houston, Houston, Texas; and University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.
Moderate fish consumption before 22 weeks of gestation significantly reduced preterm birth risk in high-risk women. Eating more than three servings weekly offered no additional benefit, supporting current pregnancy guidelines.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Nutritional Science
- Perinatal Health
Background:
- Preterm birth remains a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality.
- Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly from fish, are crucial for fetal development.
- Previous studies suggest a link between maternal diet and pregnancy outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between dietary fish intake and erythrocyte omega-3 fatty acids with preterm birth risk.
- To assess the impact of fish consumption frequency on recurrent preterm delivery in a high-risk cohort.
Main Methods:
- Ancillary study to a randomized trial on omega-3 supplementation for preterm birth prevention.
- Dietary fish intake assessed via questionnaire; erythrocyte fatty acids measured at 16-21 weeks gestation.
- Statistical modeling used to analyze the association between fish consumption and preterm delivery.
Main Results:
- Women consuming fish more often had a lower probability of preterm birth (35.9%) compared to those eating fish less than monthly (48.6%).
- Moderately frequent fish consumption (3 servings/week) was associated with a 40% reduction in preterm birth risk (OR 0.60).
- Higher fish intake or erythrocyte omega-3 levels did not provide further reduction in preterm birth risk.
Conclusions:
- Moderate fish intake (up to 3 meals/week) before 22 weeks gestation is linked to reduced recurrent preterm birth.
- Current recommendations for fish consumption during pregnancy by FDA and ACOG are supported.
- This finding emphasizes the importance of maternal diet in preventing adverse perinatal outcomes.
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