Omega-3 in gestation protects newborns from hypoxic-ischemic damage
Omega 3 during pregnancy: prevention against hypoxic-ischemic damage in newborns
The intake of Omega 3 during pregnancy can protect newborns’ brains from hypoxic-ischemic damage by counteracting the inflammatory response associated with it. This is suggested by a study conducted at the School of Medicine of the University of Pittsburgh (United States), published in the journal Stroke. This finding opens new hopes for the treatment of a damage for which few solutions are currently available.
Hypoxic-ischemic damage
Hypoxia is a condition of oxygen deficiency in a tissue of the body. Both in the fetus and in the newborn, this condition can trigger another phenomenon: ischemia. Ischemia means the reduction or even the interruption of blood flow. In newborns who experience asphyxia, cerebral hypoxia and ischemia occur together: their consequences are called hypoxic-ischemic damage. This condition can occur before, after, or during birth and affects 4-5 million children every year, who may experience more or less severe consequences on their cognitive, motor, and behavioral abilities. Among the most frequent risks are:
- mental retardation
- epilepsy
- learning difficulties
- motor disabilities
Currently available therapies to remedy hypoxic-ischemic damage are quite limited.
New hopes from Omega-3
The authors of the research published in Stroke evaluated the effect of Omega-3 on damages associated with hypoxia and ischemia in newborns using rats as a model system. From the second day of gestation until 14 days after birth, the animals were fed with feed supplemented with Omega-3 or with a standard diet. Seven days after birth, the researchers induced hypoxic-ischemic damage in the newborns. The brain consequences of the damage were assessed over the following 5 weeks through specific tests measuring the animals’ motor abilities. Furthermore, production of molecules involved in inflammatory processes and activation of immune response cells in the brain were monitored up to 7 days after damage induction. Finally, 5 weeks after the damage, loss of nervous tissue was evaluated. It emerged that Omega-3 administration during pregnancy significantly reduces brain damage and its long-term neurological consequences. Moreover, these nutrients exert an anti-inflammatory activity on immune cells present in the brain. Further experiments, conducted directly on these cells cultured in the laboratory, showed that Omega-3 reduce inflammation by decreasing the activity of the NF-kB protein. This phenomenon consequently prevents the release of molecules responsible for inflammation.
From rats to humans
According to the authors, the results of this research suggest that Omega-3 fatty acids may significantly protect newborn brains from hypoxic-ischemic damage. Their action would be at least partly based on inhibiting inflammation mediated by immune cells present in the central nervous system.
