Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42494300›Full record

SynthesisDevelopmental psychobiology2026

Impact of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation in Individuals During Pregnancy on Neurodevelopment and Growth of Offspring: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Linyun Xie, Meicen Zhou, Liqun Lu, XueMei Ning, Yue Song

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Developmental psychobiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

5 authors.

Linyun XieDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Meicen ZhouDepartment of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Liqun LuDepartment of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
XueMei NingDepartment of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Yue SongDepartment of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID 0000-0002-4679-0330

Funding

Joint Innovation Fund Project of Chengdu Municipal Health Commission and Universities WXLHCXJJ25-64Open Fund of Development and Regeneration Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province 24FYYZS12
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Maternal prenatal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake is critical for fetal brain and retinal development; however, evidence regarding its effects on offspring neurodevelopment and growth remains inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of prenatal DHA supplementation on offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes (attention, motor, intelligence, language, executive function, and short-term memory) and growth parameters (birth weight, head circumference, gestational age, and birth length) in the general population. We analyzed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from 2001 to 2023 across PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Of 917 records, 21 RCTs were included in the systematic review, of which 19 were eligible for meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that prenatal DHA supplementation had no significant benefits on any neurodevelopmental outcome. Subgroup analyses revealed no improvements across all assessed domains (all p > 0.05). In contrast, prenatal DHA supplementation significantly increased neonatal birth weight (mean difference [MD] = 72.51 g, 95% CI: 37.55-107.48), whereas no notable improvements were observed in head circumference, gestational age, birth length, or any of the assessed neurodevelopmental outcomes. Overall, the current evidence does not support benefits of prenatal DHA supplementation for neurodevelopmental outcomes or for growth outcomes other than birth weight in the general population. Future research should focus on identifying subgroups that may be responsive to DHA based on genetic, nutritional, or environmental factors.

Indexed as

Birth WeightChild DevelopmentDietary SupplementsDocosahexaenoic AcidsNeurodevelopmentFemaleHumansPregnancyDocosahexaenoic Acidsdocosahexaenoic acidgrowthmeta‐analysisneurodevelopmentoffspringpregnancy

Identifiers

PMID42494300
PMCPMC13397051

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.