Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25117999›Full record

Trial reportEuropean journal of clinical nutrition2015

Omega-3 supplementation during the first 5 years of life and later academic performance: a randomised controlled trial.

B K Brew, B G Toelle, K L Webb, C Almqvist, G B Marks, CAPS investigators

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in European journal of clinical nutrition, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 29% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Dietary marine fatty acids (fish oil) for asthma.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2000
    Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

B K BrewWoolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
B G Toelle1] Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia [2] Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
K L WebbCenter for Weight and Health, College of Natural Resources and School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
C Almqvist1] Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden [2] Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Lung and Allergy Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
G B MarksWoolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
CAPS investigators
Woolcock Institute of Medical Research · AUKarolinska Institutet · SESydney Local Health District · AUUniversity of California, Berkeley · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesConsumption of oily fish more than once per week has been shown to improve cognitive outcomes in children. However, it is unknown whether similar benefits can be achieved by long-term omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. The objective was to investigate the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation during the first 5 years of life on subsequent academic performance in children by conducting a secondary analysis of the CAPS (Childhood Asthma Prevention Study). SUBJECTS/

methodsA total of 616 infants with a family history of asthma were randomised to receive tuna fish oil (high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, active) or Sunola oil (low in omega-3 fatty acids, control) from the time breastfeeding ceased or at the age of 6 months until the age of 5 years. Academic performance was measured by a nationally standardised assessment of literacy and numeracy (National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)) in school years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Plasma omega-3 fatty acid levels were measured at regular intervals until 8 years of age. Between-group differences in test scores, adjusted for maternal age, birth weight and maternal education, were estimated using mixed-model regression.

resultsAmong 239 children, there were no significant differences in NAPLAN scores between active and control groups. However, at 8 years, the proportion of omega-3 fatty acid in plasma was positively associated with the NAPLAN score (0.13 s.d. unit increase in score per 1% absolute increase in plasma omega-3 fatty acid (95% CI 0.03, 0.23)).

conclusionsOur findings do not support the practice of supplementing omega-3 fatty acids in the diet of young children to improve academic outcomes. Further exploration is needed to understand the association between plasma omega-3 fatty acid levels at 8 years and academic performance.

Indexed as

Educational MeasurementBirth WeightBreast FeedingChildChild, PreschoolCognitionDietDietary SupplementsFatty Acids, Omega-3FemaleFish OilsFollow-Up StudiesHumansInfantLearningMaleFatty Acids, Omega-3Fish Oils

Identifiers

PMID25117999
OpenAlexW1999943142

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.