(OR30-03-24) A Randomized Controlled Trial of Omega-3 Supplementation in Pregnant Black Women Living in Under-Resourced, Urban Environments

Objectives: Exposure to stress during pregnancy has significant health consequences. Black women are disproportionately exposed to a range of stressors. We previously reported that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy resulted in lower perceived stress in a pilot study of 64 Black women. In this presentation, we test differences in DHA levels between active supplement and placebo, and associations between DHA levels and maternal stress and birth outcomes using data from a recently completed double-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT) of DHA supplementation in pregnant Black women (n=168).

Methods: Data were from an RCT of prenatal DHA supplementation in 168 Black women with Medicaid insurance and living in under-resourced, urban environments. Women with healthy pregnancy and low sea fish intake ( < 2 servings of sea fish per week) were recruited at 10-17 weeks of gestation and randomly assigned to active supplement (450 mg DHA; n= 112) or placebo (n=56) in a 2:1 ratio. Participants and research staff were blind to study assignment. DHA was measured as percent of total fatty acids in venous blood samples collected at baseline and three times across pregnancy.

Results: Both groups of women had significant increases in DHA levels from baseline to 32-36 weeks of gestation. Women assigned to 450 mg DHA had an average increase of 1%, a rate consistent with other RCTs during pregnancy. Women assigned to placebo had an increase of 0.6%, a rate that was twice as high as in other RCTs. There was a trend towards higher DHA blood levels in women in the active supplement group compared to placebo at the end of the trial at 32-36 weeks (6.45 versus 5.99; t = -1.535, p = .06). Higher DHA blood levels at trial end were associated with lower maternal perceived stress controlling for exposure to negative life events (t = -2.29, p =.02) and discrimination stress (t = -2.08, p =.04) and higher birthweights (r = .21, p = .03).

Conclusions: Although a statistically significant differences in DHA blood levels was not observed between the active and placebo groups, DHA levels were associated with maternal stress and birth outcomes. DHA supplementation may be a promising approach to supporting healthy pregnancies in Black women living in low-resourced environments.

Funding Sources: R01 HD084586