Effects of supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy on asthma or wheeze of children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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#asthma #child #dietary-supplements #fatty-acids-omega-3 #female

Effects of supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy on asthma or wheeze of children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Lin et al., 2020 | J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med | Meta Analysis

Citation

Lin Jilei, Zhang Yin, ... Dai Jihong. Effects of supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy on asthma or wheeze of children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2020-May;33(10):1792-1801. doi:10.1080/14767058.2018.1529161

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effects of omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy on the incidence of wheeze and asthma of children.Methods: A search was conducted in PubMed, Embase and CENTRAL until September 2017. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy on wheeze/asthma of children were included. Two investigators independently searched articles, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies. Outcomes of relative risks were pooled. Subgroup analyses were conducted.Results: Seven RCTs involving 2047 children were included. The pooled data revealed the supplementation during pregnancy reduced the incidence of wheeze/asthma (risk ratio (RR) 0.81; 95% CI 0.66-0.99; p .04), but the incidence of childhood asthma was not significantly reduced (RR 0.89; 95% CI 0.67-1.17; p .40). Subgroup analyses indicated that the risk of childhood wheeze/asthma was significantly decreased (1) in studies located in Europe (RR 0.67 95% CI 0.51- 0.88), (2) in children whose first-degree relatives were diagnosed with allergic disease (RR 0.65 95% CI 0.49-0.85), (3) when a dose of omega -3 fatty acids ≥2000 mg/d was applied (RR 0.61 95% CI 0.45-0.81), (4) in wheeze/asthma without sensitivity (RR 0.71 95% CI 0.54-0.94).Conclusion: The available low-quality evidence indicated that omega-3 fatty acids supplementation during pregnancy may reduce the incidence of wheeze/asthma of children, but incidence of asthma was not reduced after omega-3 fatty acids supplementation during pregnancy. More well-designed RCTs with large sample sizes need to be conducted to better understand the effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation during pregnancy with asthma in childhood.

Key Findings

Seven RCTs involving 2047 children were included. The pooled data revealed the supplementation during pregnancy reduced the incidence of wheeze/asthma (risk ratio (RR) 0.81; 95% CI 0.66-0.99; p .04), but the incidence of childhood asthma was not significantly reduced (RR 0.89; 95% CI 0.67-1.17; p .40). Subgroup analyses indicated that the risk of childhood wheeze/asthma was significantly decreased (1) in studies located in Europe (RR 0.67 95% CI 0.51- 0.88), (2) in children whose first-degree re

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Asthma
  • Child
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Respiratory Sounds
  • Risk Factors

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: omega-3-pregnancy

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09