Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42249024›Full record

ArticlePediatric research2026

Blood fatty acid changes in preterm infants in a trial of enteral DHA supplementation.

Robert A Gibson, Maria Makrides, Jana M Bednarz, Thomas R Sullivan, Bridget M Arman, Andrew J McPhee, Peter G Davis, Lex W Doyle, Jeanie Ly Cheong, Javeed Travadi and 14 more

Abstract read
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Article in Pediatric research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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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

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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

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

24 authors.

Robert A GibsonSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia. robert.gibson@adelaide.edu.au.
Maria MakridesSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Jana M BednarzSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Thomas R SullivanSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Bridget M ArmanSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Andrew J McPheeSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Peter G DavisNeonatal Medicine, The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Lex W DoyleDepartment of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Jeanie Ly CheongDepartment of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Javeed TravadiNewborn Services, John Hunter Children's Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Kenneth TanDepartment of Paediatrics, Monash University, Monash Children's Hospital, Melbourne, SA, Australia.
Scott MorrisNeonatal Unit, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Kei LuiSchool of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Srinivas BolisettyRoyal Hospital for Women, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
Michael John StarkNeonatal Medicine, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Marta ThioNeonatal Medicine, The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Deborah L HarrisSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Mary Max BerryDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Wellington Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand.
Victor Samuel RajaduraiDepartment of Neonatology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Mei-Chien ChuaDepartment of Neonatology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Pooja Agarwal JayagobiDepartment of Neonatology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Mary SharpKing Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia.
Helen LileyMater Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Jacqueline F GouldSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVery preterm infants miss the peak in-utero supply of omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and omega-6 arachidonic acid (AA), and are thought to receive low amounts after birth.

methodsIn a randomized controlled trial of 1077 babies born <29 weeks' gestation we assessed the DHA and AA concentrations in whole blood before and after (36 weeks' post menstrual age, PMA) enteral emulsion intervention with 60 mg/kg/d of DHA compared with no DHA soy oil.

resultsPrior to the intervention, all infants had similar mean DHA (2.8% of total fatty acids) and mean AA (intervention 10.45%; control 10.42%) concentrations. By 36 weeks', mean DHA of intervention group infants increased to 3.86%, while it decreased to 2.53% in the control group (mean difference 1.33%, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.40, p < 0.0001). AA was lower at 36 weeks' than at enrolment, with the decrease marginally more pronounced in the intervention group (8.11%) compared with the control group (8.84%, mean difference -0.71%, 95% CI -0.86 to -0.57, p < 0.0001).

conclusionAll fatty acids regressed towards a new diet-dependent mean at 36 weeks regardless of the initial level. DHA supplementation successfully prevented the typical decline in DHA and modestly exacerbated the decline in AA.

trial registrationThe N3RO Trial is registered at the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry as ACTRN12612000503820 (anzctr.org.au), 9 May 2012. IMPACT: High-dose DHA supplementation in preterm infants prevents the typical postnatal decline in DHA. This study provides evidence from over 1000 infants across Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. The findings have direct implications for optimizing neonatal nutrition in very preterm populations.

Identifiers

PMID42249024

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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.