Women Who Take This Supplement While Pregnant Reduce the Risk of Premature Birth, Research Says

Increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy reduces the risk of premature births, the Cochrane Review says.

Researchers at the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) have been looking closely at long-chain omega-3 fats and their role in reducing the risk of premature births.

They observed 70 randomized trials and found when pregnant women increase the daily intake of the omega-3 fatty acids, specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), it lowers the risk of having a premature baby (less than 37 weeks) by 11 percent.

Additionally, the fats, which are found in many fish oil supplements, lower the risk of having an early premature baby (less than 34 weeks) by 42 percent and reduce the risk of having a small baby (less than 5.5 lbs) by 10 percent.

The Cochrane Review was first undertaken in 2006, and concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to support the routine use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements during pregnancy. More than a decade later, this updated review now finds there’s evidence for omega-3 fatty acids being an effective strategy for preventing preterm birth.

“There are not many options for preventing premature birth, so these new findings are very important for pregnant women, babies and the health professionals who care for them,” explains Philippa Middleton, an associate professor from SAHMRI. “We don’t yet fully understand the causes of premature labor, so predicting and preventing early birth has always been a challenge. This is one of the reasons omega-3 supplementation in pregnancy is of such great interest to researchers around the world.”

Not sure how to subtly slip omega-3 into your meals? Here’s more info on foods you can eat to get your fill of omega-3.

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