A recent study from Northwestern University has found that parents in Chicago are not consuming enough omega-3 fatty acids, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The research, published in the journal Nutrients, surveyed over a thousand parents from across the city and found that both mothers and fathers reported average intakes below the recommended 250 mg per day. Mothers consumed just over 130 mg per day, while fathers consumed just over 160 mg per day.
The study identified several factors linked to lower omega-3 intake, including lower household income, certain self-reported racial and ethnic backgrounds, and not taking DHA-containing supplements. Notably, women who had previously experienced a premature birth reported consuming less omega-3 fatty acids than those who had not.
“Later it becomes influenced by advertising and their peers, but our parents are an important early influence. So, if we have parents whose general eating habits are that they consume lower-than-recommended amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, I would expect that their child’s eating habits probably wouldn’t include higher amounts of seafood,” said Dr. Daniel Robinson, associate professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician in the division of neonatology at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
Previous research has indicated that mothers with lower omega-3 intake are at greater risk for preterm birth. The new study found that mothers with lower current intake of EPA and DHA were more likely to have had a preterm birth in a past pregnancy, even after adjusting for other demographic factors.
“We didn’t measure this directly in our study, but if someone who has had a preterm birth in the past is now eating even less omega-3s, and they become pregnant again, they could be at increased risk of another preterm birth due to their diet,” Robinson said. “Has anyone ever said, ‘You’ve had a preterm birth before. One way to help prevent that might be to eat more seafood.’”
The authors suggest that improving parental intake of omega-3 fatty acids could benefit public health, particularly by reducing the risk of preterm birth. They recommend that strategies to increase consumption should consider personal, social, and cultural influences on diet. This could involve tailored dietary guidelines at both national and local levels, as well as ongoing support from healthcare providers.
“Health care providers should think about this problem longitudinally and not in our own silos of expertise,” Robinson said. “The whole timeline — from before a woman becomes pregnant through when that child becomes an adult — needs to be considered.”
The study used data from the Voices of Child Health in Chicago Panel Survey, which collects responses from parents on topics related to child and adolescent health, family well-being, and parenting. Participants had to have at least one child living with them and completed a food frequency questionnaire to estimate their intake of EPA and DHA. The researchers also linked participants’ residential information to the Childhood Opportunity Index to reflect neighborhood health potential.
Seafood such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, and trout was identified as the best source of omega-3 fatty acids. While DHA supplements can help, Dr. Robinson noted that whole foods provide additional nutrients beneficial to health.
The research was supported by an anonymous family foundation focused on community health in low-resource neighborhoods and the Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities.