Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes
Published on: June 28, 2024
DHA supplementation during pregnancy and lactation affects infants' cellular but not humoral immune response
Esther Granot1, Einat Jakobovich, Ruth Rabinowitz
1Department of Pediatrics, Kaplan Medical Center, P.O. Box 1, Rehovot, Israel. ettie_g@clalit.org.il
Background:
It is currently recommended that diet of pregnant mothers contain 200-300 mg DHA/day. Aim. To determine whether DHA supplementation during pregnancy and lactation affects infants' immune response.
Methods:
60 women in ≥3rd pregnancy studied; 30 randomly assigned to receive DHA 400 mg/day from 12th week gestation until 4 months postpartum. From breast-fed infants, blood obtained for anti-HBs antibodies, immunoglobulins, lymphocyte subset phenotyping, and intracellular cytokine production.
Results:
CD4+ lymphocytes did not differ between groups, but CD4CD45RA/CD4 (naïve cells) significantly higher in infants in DHA+ group. Proportion of CD4 and CD8 cells producing IFN(γ) significantly lower in DHA+ group, with no differences in proportion of IL4-producing cells. Immunoglobulins and anti-HBs levels did not differ between groups.
Conclusions:
In infants of mothers receiving DHA supplementation, a higher percentage of CD4 naïve cells and decreased CD4 and CD8 IFN(γ) production is compatible with attenuation of a proinflammatory response.
Related Concept Videos
Development of Immunocompetence
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
Transcytosis of IgG
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
Development of Human Microbiota
Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
Humoral Immune Responses
Teratogenicity
