Influence of clinical characteristics on maternal DHA and other polyunsaturated fatty acid status in pregnancy: A systematic review.
INTRODUCTION
Omega-3 DHA is important for the prevention of preterm birth, however there is limited knowledge of the determinants of omega-3 status during pregnancy. The primary objective of this systematic review was to synthesise data from existing studies assessing relationships between clinical factors and maternal DHA status.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
The Medline, Embase, Amed, and CINAHL databases were searched for studies reporting measures of maternal omega-3 status and one or more clinical characteristics.


RESULTS
Eighteen studies were included in the final analyses. Factors associated with a higher BMI (overweight, higher gestational weight gain, gestational diabetes), or lower parity were each associated with higher omega-3 status in the majority of studies, with mixed findings for other comparisons.


DISCUSSION
Inconsistent findings between studies make it difficult to draw clear conclusions about the relationship between clinical factors and maternal omega-3 DHA status. However, maternal overweight and associated metabolic conditions may increase lipid metabolism.
['Wilson|N A|NA|', 'Mantzioris|E|E|', 'Middleton|P F|PF|', 'Muhlhausler|B S|BS|']
D015992:Body Mass Index D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated D005260:Female D005865:Gestational Age D006801:Humans D050356:Lipid Metabolism D011247:Pregnancy D011256:Pregnancy Outcome D047928:Premature Birth
DHA Polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 BMI Maternal status Omega-6