Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Surgical Treatments for Postamputation Pain
03:26

Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Surgical Treatments for Postamputation Pain

Published on: March 8, 2024

3.5K

Combined choline and DHA supplementation: a randomized controlled trial

Wolfgang Bernhard1, Katrin Böckmann2, Christoph Maas2

  • 1Department of Neonatology, University Hospital, Calwerstr. 7, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. wolfgang.bernhard@med.uni-tuebingen.de.

European Journal of Nutrition
|March 13, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Choline and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation improves preterm infant nutrition. Combined supplementation enhanced DHA levels more effectively than DHA alone, supporting infant development.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal nutrition and metabolism.
  • Essential fatty acid and choline biochemistry.

Background:

  • Choline and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are vital for preterm infant development.
  • Plasma concentrations of choline and DHA-phosphatidylcholine (DHA-PC) decrease post-birth.
  • Understanding their metabolic link is crucial for optimizing infant nutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effects of combined versus exclusive choline and DHA supplementation in preterm infants.
  • To compare supplementation strategies against standard feeding protocols.
  • To assess the impact on plasma choline and DHA homeostasis.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized, partially blinded, single-center trial involving 24 preterm infants (<32 weeks postmenstrual age).
  • Interventions included standard nutrition, or additional enteral choline (30 mg/kg/day), DHA (60 mg/kg/day), or both for 10 days.
  • A deuterated choline tracer was administered to study choline metabolism.

Main Results:

  • Choline supplementation normalized plasma choline levels to near-fetal concentrations.
  • Combined choline and DHA supplementation significantly increased DHA-PC levels compared to DHA alone.
  • Choline supplementation improved DHA homeostasis and influenced phosphatidylcholine synthesis pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Additional choline supplementation (30 mg/kg/day) effectively raises plasma choline in preterm infants.
  • Combined choline and DHA supplementation optimizes DHA homeostasis.
  • These findings support improved nutritional strategies for preterm infants.
Abstract

Keywords:
Arachidonic acidCholineCombined supplementationD9-cholineDocosahexaenoic acidLC-PUFANeonateNutritionPEMTPhosphatidylcholinePhospholipidPlasmaPreterm infantStable isotopesTandem mass spectrometry

More Related Videos

The Murine Choline-Deficient, Ethionine-Supplemented CDE Diet Model of Chronic Liver Injury07:27

The Murine Choline-Deficient, Ethionine-Supplemented CDE Diet Model of Chronic Liver Injury

Published on: October 21, 2017

12.4K
Author Spotlight: Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface (RPNI) Surgery in Postamputation Pain Management03:53

Author Spotlight: Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface (RPNI) Surgery in Postamputation Pain Management

Published on: March 15, 2024

2.9K

Related Concept Videos

Clinical Trials: Overview01:11

Clinical Trials: Overview

Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...
4.9K
Trial and Error and Algorithm01:12

Trial and Error and Algorithm

A problem-solving strategy is a plan of action used to find a solution. Different strategies have distinct action plans. Trial and error involves trying different solutions until one works. For instance, to fix a broken printer, you might check ink levels, ensure the paper tray isn't jammed, and verify the printer's connection to your laptop. This method can be time-consuming but is commonly used. Thomas Edison, for example, used trial and error to find a suitable filament for the light...
401
Clinical Trials01:16

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
10.3K
Random Error01:04

Random Error

Random or indeterminate errors originate from various uncontrollable variables, such as variations in environmental conditions, instrument imperfections, or the inherent variability of the phenomena being measured. Usually, these errors cannot be predicted, estimated, or characterized because their direction and magnitude often vary in magnitude and direction even during consecutive measurements. As a result, they are difficult to eliminate. However, the aggregate effect of these errors can be...
9.7K
Random Variables01:09

Random Variables

A random variable is a single numerical value that indicates the outcome of a procedure. The concept of random variables is fundamental to the probability theory and was introduced by a Russian mathematician, Pafnuty Chebyshev, in the mid-nineteenth century.
Uppercase letters such as X or Y denote a random variable. Lowercase letters like x or y denote the value of a random variable. If X is a random variable, then X is written in words, and x is given as a number.
For example, let X = the...
17.8K
Randomized Experiments01:13

Randomized Experiments

The randomization process involves assigning study participants randomly to experimental or control groups based on their probability of being equally assigned. Randomization is meant to eliminate selection bias and balance known and unknown confounding factors so that the control group is similar to the treatment group as much as possible. A computer program and a random number generator can be used to assign participants to groups in a way that minimizes bias.
Simple randomization
Simple...
9.0K