Serum n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are inversely associated with longitudinal changes in depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

ABSTRACT:

Backgrounds

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been hypothesised to be protective for depression during pregnancy. However, there are few data and no consensus regarding this association. In this line, we aim to evaluate if the concentration of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs, and their ratio, are associated with depressive symptoms throughout pregnancy.

Method

A prospective cohort of 172 Brazilian women was followed at 5-13th, 20-26th and 30-36th weeks of gestation. The presence of depressive symptoms was evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at each pregnancy trimester. Depression was defined as an EPDS score ≥11. The concentrations of n-3 [α-linolenic acid; eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA); docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] and n

SUBMITTER: Pinto TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6998689 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature