[Docosahexaenoic acid benefits on growth and body composition of septic neonates. Randomized trial]

Neonatal sepsis is a global leading disease and causes retarded growth and undernourishment. The docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has immunomodulatory effects, which may protect against the adverse effects of sepsis.

To evaluate whether the enteral administration of DHA to neonates with late sepsis, reduces the negative impact on retarded growth and body reserves.

Randomized double-blinded clinical trial in neonates who underwent surgery with diagnosis of late sepsis attended in the Neonatology Service. A group received 100 mg of DHA/day and the control group received olive oil, by enteral feeding for 14 days since the sepsis diagnosis. The change in anthropometry and body composition was evaluated from sepsis diagnosis to 14 days after. The changes were compared with Student´s T, one sample t and McNemar tests. The effect of the confounders was adjusted by general linear regression.

The DHA group compared with control group, had a greater length (1.7% ± 0.4 vs. 0.7% ± 0.2, p = 0.04), arm circumference (2.2% ± 1.2 vs. -3.7% ± 1.3, p = 0.001), bicipital skinfold (7.8% ± 6.1 vs. -11.8% ± 4.6, p = 0.02), and fat-free mass (4.5% ± 2.1 vs. -0.6% ± 2.0, p = 0.02), as well as a higher Z score of length/age (-0.0 ± 0.1 vs. -0.4 ± 0.1, p = 0.003) and head circumference/age (0.1 ± 0.2 vs. -0.4 ± 0.1, p = 0.002). The last ones remained significant after adjusting by confounders.

Enteral DHA administration reduced the retarded growth and undernourishment in neonates with late sepsis.