Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29940888›Full record

Trial reportBMC pregnancy and childbirth2018

Effect of prenatal EPA and DHA on maternal and umbilical cord blood cytokines.

Ellen L Mozurkewich, Deborah R Berman, Anjel Vahratian, Chelsea M Clinton, Vivian C Romero, Julie L Chilimigras, Delia Vazquez, Clifford Qualls, Zora Djuric

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT00711971 (Does EPA or DHA Prevent Depressive Symptoms in Pregnancy and Postpartum?), which is not on this map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 15% 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.

NCT00711971 phase2 / phase3completednot on this map

Does EPA or DHA Prevent Depressive Symptoms in Pregnancy and Postpartum?

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of MichiganRan2008 to 2013Enrolled126ConditionsDepressionArmsEPA-rich fish oil supplement, DHA-rich fish oil supplement, placebo
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Omega-3 fatty acid addition during pregnancy.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018
    Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Timing matters: modeling the effects of gestational cannabis exposure on social behavior and microglia in the developing amygdala.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Autologous cord blood in children with cerebral palsy: a review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2019
    Review
  12. Article
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

9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Ellen L MozurkewichDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, MSC 10 5580, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA. emozurkewich@salud.unm.edu.
Deborah R BermanObstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Anjel VahratianObstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Chelsea M ClintonObstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Vivian C RomeroObstetrics and Gynecology, Spectrum Health Maternal Fetal Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI/Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Julie L ChilimigrasDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, MSC 10 5580, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
Delia VazquezDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Clifford QuallsClinical and Translational Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Zora DjuricFamily Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor · USUniversity of New Mexico · USDuke University · USMichigan State University · US

Funding

University of New Mexico Clinical and Translational Science CenterUL1TR000041 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR · PI LARSON, RICHARD S · 2012 to 2014
$9.8M
Does EPA or DHA prevent depressive symptoms in pregnancy and postpartum?R21AT004166 · NCCIH · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI MOZURKEWICH, ELLEN · 2008 to 2011
$648k
NCCIH NIH HHS R21 AT004166NIH HHS AT004166-03S1 (NCCAM)The National Center for Research Resources and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health 8UL1TR000041
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInvestigators have hypothesized that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may modulate the immune response. However, available evidence is conflicting. We performed this study to investigate the effect of prenatal eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)- and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich fish oil supplementation on maternal and fetal cytokine production.

methodsThis study is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial designed to assess whether prenatal EPA- or DHA-rich fish oil supplementation would prevent perinatal depressive symptoms among women at risk. Enrolled participants received EPA-rich fish oil (1060 mg EPA plus 274 mg DHA), DHA-rich fish oil (900 mg DHA plus 180 mg EPA) or soy oil placebo. Maternal venous blood was collected at enrollment (12-20 weeks gestation) and after supplementation (34-36 weeks gestation). Umbilical cord blood was collected at delivery. We analyzed stored plasma specimens for 16 human cytokines using multiplex immunoassays. Maternal and cord blood cytokine levels were compared among the treatment groups. Associations of serum DHA and EPA with maternal and cord blood cytokines were explored via regression analysis.

resultsWe enrolled 126 women, of whom 118 completed the trial. Prenatal supplementation with EPA-rich fish oil significantly lowered maternal IL6, IL15, and TNFα concentrations. However, supplementation with DHA-rich fish oil had no significant effect on maternal cytokine profiles. Maternal serum DHA fraction was significantly associated with IL1α, and maternal serum DHA and EPA fractions were significantly associated with IL 10 concentrations after supplementation. Compared with placebo, supplementation with EPA- or DHA-rich fish oils had no significant effect on cord blood cytokine concentrations.

conclusionsPrenatal supplementation with EPA-rich fish oil significantly reduced levels of several inflammatory cytokines in maternal plasma, while prenatal DHA-rich fish oil had no significant effect on cytokine concentrations. Supplementation with EPA- and DHA- rich fish oil had no significant effect on umbilical cord blood cytokine concentrations.

trial registrationClinical Trial Registration: registration number NCT00711971 7/7/2008.

Indexed as

CytokinesDietary SupplementsDocosahexaenoic AcidsDouble-Blind MethodEicosapentaenoic AcidFemaleFetal BloodFish OilsHumansPregnancyProspective StudiesCytokinesDocosahexaenoic AcidsEicosapentaenoic AcidFish OilsCytokinesDHAEPAUmbilical cord blood

Identifiers

PMID29940888
PMCPMC6019705
OpenAlexW2810175732

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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.