SynthesisTranslational psychiatry2020
The efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acids on depressive symptoms in perinatal women: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.
Synthesis in Translational psychiatry, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 62 citations in OpenAlex.
- Maternal n-3 PUFA Intake During Pregnancy and Perinatal Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review of Recent Evidence.Current nutrition reports · 2023Pooled it
- A Randomized, Open-Label, Single-Dose, Crossover Study of the Comparative Bioavailability of EPA and DHA in a Novel Liquid Crystalline Nanoparticle-Based Formulation of ω-3 Acid Ethyl Ester Versus OmacorInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2023Trial
- Mental health in early pregnancy: Interplay of objectively measured lifestyles, gut microbiota, and metabolomics.iScience · 2026Article
- Biopsychosocial stressors and perinatal mental health: The mediating role of social support in a Pakistani cohort.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2026Article
- Review
- The effect of omega-3 fatty acid use on women's mental health in postpartum depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis study.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2025Article
- Review
- Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Depression.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)-Should They Be Mandatory Supplements in Pregnancy?Biomedicines · 2024Review
- The role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the neurobiology of major depressive disorder and suicide risk.Molecular psychiatry · 2024Review
- Targeting maternal gut microbiome to improve mental health outcomes-a pilot feasibility trial.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
- Dietary Intake of Nutrients Involved in Serotonin and Melatonin Synthesis and Prenatal Maternal Sleep Quality and Affective Symptoms.Journal of nutrition and metabolism · 2024Article
- DHA supplementation and pregnancy complications.Journal of translational medicine · 2023Review
- Personalized Medicine of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Depression Treatment in Obese and Metabolically Dysregulated Patients.Journal of personalized medicine · 2023Review
- Interaction of fatty acid quality indices and genes related to lipid homeostasis on mental health among overweight and obese women.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- AKT and MAPK signaling pathways in hippocampus reveals the pathogenesis of depression in four stress-induced models.Translational psychiatry · 2023Article
- Anti-Inflammatory Treatment Efficacy in Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2023Review
- Active Women Across the Lifespan: Nutritional Ingredients to Support Health and Wellness.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2022Review
- Evidence based recommendations for an optimal prenatal supplement for women in the US: vitamins and related nutrients.Maternal health, neonatology and perinatology · 2022Review
- The Problem of Malnutrition Associated with Major Depressive Disorder from a Sex-Gender Perspective.Nutrients · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Omega-3 fatty acids (FA), as a nutrient, has been proven effective in major depressive disorder (MDD), however, the results of monotherapy in perinatal depression (PND) remain unclear. To examine the efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acids (FA) monotherapy for perinatal depression (PND) compared with placebo. PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were searched from inception up to November 2019. The reference lists of relevant review articles and included studies were also reviewed. Randomized placebo-controlled trials examining the efficacy and safety of omega-3 FA monotherapy in perinatal women with depressive symptoms were included. Pooled standard mean differences (SMD) were calculated and random-effects models were adopted for all analyses. Subgroups analyses and meta-regression were performed to quantify characteristics of the subjects and trials influencing the omega-3 response. In addition, meta-regression was conducted to identify the source of heterogeneity. The study protocol was registered at PROSPERO, CRD42020159542. Eight eligible randomized placebo-controlled trials were included involving 638 participants. There was a significant effect of omega-3 FA on perinatal depression. Omega-3 with higher ratio of EPA/DHA (≥1.5) had significant efficacy both in mild-to-moderate pregnant and postpartum depression with low incidence of side effects. Among the included trials reporting adverse effects, there was no significant difference in incidence of gastrointestinal and neurologic events between the omega-3 and placebo groups. There was no evidence of publication bias. Our findings suggested that omega-3 FA significantly improved depressive symptoms in perinatal women regardless of pregnant or postpartum and well-tolerated. Furthermore, the omega-3 response was linked to higher EPA proportion in omega-3 formula and mild- to-moderate depression.
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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.