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American Academy of Pediatrics
Article

Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cognition in VLBW Infants at 8 years: an RCT

Astrid Nylander Almaas, Christian K. Tamnes, Britt Nakstad, Christine Henriksen, Kristine B. Walhovd, Anders M. Fjell, Paulina Due-Tønnessen, Christian A. Drevon and Per Ole Iversen
Pediatrics May 2015, peds.2014-4094; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-4094
Astrid Nylander Almaas
aAkershus University Hospital and Faculty Division AHUS, Institute for Clinical Medicine,
bDepartment of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and
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Christian K. Tamnes
cResearch Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; and
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Britt Nakstad
aAkershus University Hospital and Faculty Division AHUS, Institute for Clinical Medicine,
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Christine Henriksen
bDepartment of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and
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Kristine B. Walhovd
cResearch Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; and
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Anders M. Fjell
cResearch Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; and
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Paulina Due-Tønnessen
dDepartment of Radiology, Rikshospitalet, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Christian A. Drevon
bDepartment of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and
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Per Ole Iversen
bDepartment of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that supplementation with the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) to very low birth weight (VLBW) infants would improve long-term cognitive functions and influence neuroanatomical volumes and cerebral cortex measured by MRI.

METHODS: The current study is a follow-up of a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of supplementation with high-dose DHA (0.86%) and AA (0.91%) to 129 VLBW infants fed human milk. Ninety-eight children participated at 8 years follow-up and completed a broad battery of cognitive tests. Eighty-one children had cerebral MRI scans of acceptable quality.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the intervention group and the control group on any of the cognitive measures. Equally, MRI data on segmental brain volumes and cerebral cortex volume, area, and thickness suggested no overall group effect.

CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial with supplementation of DHA and AA to human milk fed VLBW infants investigating both cognitive functions and brain macrostructure measured by MRI. No cognitive or neuroanatomical effects of the supplementation were detected at 8 years of age.

  • Accepted March 3, 2015.
  • Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics

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Pediatrics
Vol. 147, Issue 2
1 Feb 2021
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Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cognition in VLBW Infants at 8 years: an RCT
Astrid Nylander Almaas, Christian K. Tamnes, Britt Nakstad, Christine Henriksen, Kristine B. Walhovd, Anders M. Fjell, Paulina Due-Tønnessen, Christian A. Drevon, Per Ole Iversen
Pediatrics May 2015, peds.2014-4094; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-4094

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Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cognition in VLBW Infants at 8 years: an RCT
Astrid Nylander Almaas, Christian K. Tamnes, Britt Nakstad, Christine Henriksen, Kristine B. Walhovd, Anders M. Fjell, Paulina Due-Tønnessen, Christian A. Drevon, Per Ole Iversen
Pediatrics May 2015, peds.2014-4094; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-4094
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  • A supplementation of DHA and AA to human milk-fed VLBW infants has no significant cognitive improvement or measurable neuroanatomical effects when evaluated at 8 years of age
  • The Long and Short of It: Long-Chain Fatty Acids and Long-term Outcomes for Premature Infants
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