Docosahexaenoic acid status at 9 months is inversely associated with communicative skills in 3-year-old girls
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Docosahexaenoic acid status at 9 months is inversely associated with communicative skills in 3-year-old girls. / Engel, Sara; Tronhjem, Kathrine Marie Hagerup; Hellgren, Lars; Michaelsen, Kim F.; Lauritzen, Lotte.
In: Maternal and Child Nutrition, Vol. 9, No. 4, 2013, p. 499-510.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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T1 - Docosahexaenoic acid status at 9 months is inversely associated with communicative skills in 3-year-old girls
AU - Engel, Sara
AU - Tronhjem, Kathrine Marie Hagerup
AU - Hellgren, Lars
AU - Michaelsen, Kim F.
AU - Lauritzen, Lotte
N1 - CURIS 2013 NEXS 045
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - The objective of the present observational study was to investigate if the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status assessed in infant erythrocytes (RBC) at 9 months was associated with the age when the infants reach developmental milestones and their psychomotor function at 3 years of age. Three hundred eleven healthy Danish children were followed from 9 months to 3 years of age (the SKOT cohort). RBC fatty acid composition was analysed by gas chromatography in 272 of the children. Milestone age was collected by questionnaires at 9 and 18 months and psychomotor development at 3 years of age was assessed by the parents using third edition of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3). RBC DHA levels ranged from 2.2% to 12.6% of the RBC fatty acids. The age of reaching milestones correlated with psychomotor development, particularly with gross motor function at 3 years. An association between milestones and later personal and social skills was also observed, but only for girls. In girls, RBC-DHA was found to be inversely correlated with communication at 3 years of age (odds ratio = 0.69, 95% confidence interval: 0.56-0.86, P = 0.001), but no other associations with psychomotor development or milestones were found. The results from study indicate that DHA status at 9 months may not have a pronounced beneficial effect on psychomotor development in early childhood and that communicative skills at 3 years of age may even be inversely associated with early RBC-DHA levels in girls.
AB - The objective of the present observational study was to investigate if the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status assessed in infant erythrocytes (RBC) at 9 months was associated with the age when the infants reach developmental milestones and their psychomotor function at 3 years of age. Three hundred eleven healthy Danish children were followed from 9 months to 3 years of age (the SKOT cohort). RBC fatty acid composition was analysed by gas chromatography in 272 of the children. Milestone age was collected by questionnaires at 9 and 18 months and psychomotor development at 3 years of age was assessed by the parents using third edition of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3). RBC DHA levels ranged from 2.2% to 12.6% of the RBC fatty acids. The age of reaching milestones correlated with psychomotor development, particularly with gross motor function at 3 years. An association between milestones and later personal and social skills was also observed, but only for girls. In girls, RBC-DHA was found to be inversely correlated with communication at 3 years of age (odds ratio = 0.69, 95% confidence interval: 0.56-0.86, P = 0.001), but no other associations with psychomotor development or milestones were found. The results from study indicate that DHA status at 9 months may not have a pronounced beneficial effect on psychomotor development in early childhood and that communicative skills at 3 years of age may even be inversely associated with early RBC-DHA levels in girls.
U2 - 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2012.00411.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2012.00411.x
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 22642227
VL - 9
SP - 499
EP - 510
JO - Maternal and Child Nutrition
JF - Maternal and Child Nutrition
SN - 1740-8695
IS - 4
ER -
ID: 44569686