The use of Omega 3 on pregnancy outcomes: A single-center study

Objective: To investigate the rate of Omega 3 use in pregnant women and its effect on pregnancy outcome. Methods: The study was conducted from January to April 2010 at Tamin Ejtemaee Hospital, Hamedan, Iran, and comprised women who were carrying 16 weeks of pregnancy and were referred to the study site. They were divided into 3 groups: those who did not consume fish in a month, those who consumed fish 1-3 times in the preceding month, and those who had it more than 3 times in the same period. Data was analysed using SPSS version 16. Results: Of the 550 subjects initially approached, 20(3.6%) either declined to participate or were lost to follow-up. The final study sample, as such, comprised 530(96.4%) who were followed up until delivery. The overall mean age of the subjects was 27.98+/-5.30 years. Of the total, 21(4%) were below 18 years, 467(88%) were between 18-35 years, and 42(8%) were over 35 years pf age. Omega 3 consumption was significantly associated with neonate weight (p 0.03), pre-eclampsia (p 0.04) and pre-term labour (p 0.01). Conclusion: Increased consumption of omega 3 can prevent low birth weight, pre-term labour and pre-eclampsia.