According to research published early online in Pediatrics, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy decreases the occurrence of colds in children at 1 month and influences illness symptom duration at 1, 3, and 6 months.

In a double-blind randomised controlled trial, researchers evaluated supplementation with either 400 mg of DHA or placebo, in pregnant women from 18 to 22 weeks' gestation through parturition. In infants aged 1, 3, and 6 months, caregivers reported the occurrence of common illness symptoms in the preceding 15 days. Data were available for 849, 834, and 834 infants, respectively.

The researchers reported the following results:

• occurrence of specific illness symptoms did not differ between groups, although the occurrence of a combined measure of cold symptoms was lower in the DHA group at 1 month (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.58–1.00).
• At 1 month, the DHA group experienced 26%, 15%, and 30% shorter duration of cough, phlegm, and wheezing, respectively, but 22% longer duration of rash (all P </= 0.01).
• At 3 months, infants in the DHA group spent 14% less time ill (P < 0.0001).
• At 6 months, infants in the DHA group experienced 20%, 13%, 54%, 23%, and 25% shorter duration of fever, nasal secretion, difficulty breathing, rash, and “other illness,” respectively, but 74% longer duration of vomiting (all P < 0.05).