Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27356083›Full record

Trial reportPediatric research2016

Early docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acid supplementation in extremely-low-birth-weight infants.

Daniel T Robinson, Michael Caplan, Susan E Carlson, Rachel Yoder, Karna Murthy, Brandy Frost

Open access · bronzeAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Pediatric research, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 27% 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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Effect of enteral supplementation of DHA with or without ARA in preterm infants: a meta-analysis.Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Observational
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Docosahexaenoic acid and the preterm infant.Maternal health, neonatology and perinatology · 2017
    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 5 institutions in 1 country.

Daniel T RobinsonAnn & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
Michael CaplanDepartment of Pediatrics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Evanston, Illinois.
Susan E CarlsonDepartment of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas.
Rachel YoderDepartment of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas.
Karna MurthyAnn & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
Brandy FrostDepartment of Pediatrics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Evanston, Illinois.
University of Kansas Medical Center · USLurie Children's Hospital · USNorthShore University HealthSystem · USNorthwestern University · USUniversity of Chicago · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExtremely-low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants accrue large deficits in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) and require improved supplementation strategies. We hypothesized that once daily DHA+ARA drops applied to buccal mucosa will increase blood levels.

methodsThirty ELBW infants were randomized to receive DHA 20 mg/kg/d + ARA 40 or 60 mg/kg/d + ARA 120 mg/kg/d or placebo within 72 h of age for 8 wk duration. Red blood cell phospholipid levels of DHA (primary) and ARA (secondary) were measured at 2 and 8 wk of age.

resultsTwenty-eight survivors with a median birth weight of 806 g completed dosing and sampling. Red blood cell levels were similar between the three groups at 2 wk (DHA: 4.62 wt% (interquartile range (IQR) 4.1-5.5) for all, P = 0.29 between groups; ARA: 21.1 wt% (IQR 18.78-22.6) for all, P = 0.41 between groups) and 8 wk (DHA: 6.0 wt% (IQR 5.1-7.1) for all, P = 0.57 between groups; ARA: 20.1 wt% (IQR 18.3-23.1) for all, P = 0.63 between groups). DHA in all infants showed a median increase of 31% from 2 to 8 wk (P < 0.04). ARA levels did not significantly change over time (P > 0.6).

conclusionDaily buccal DHA and ARA supplements did not affect fatty acid levels in ELBW infants.

Indexed as

Dietary SupplementsInfant, Extremely Low Birth WeightArachidonic AcidBirth WeightDocosahexaenoic AcidsErythrocytesFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornInfant Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaInfant, PrematureMaleMouth MucosaPhospholipidsProspective StudiesArachidonic AcidDocosahexaenoic AcidsPhospholipids

Identifiers

PMID27356083
OpenAlexW2465238989

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.