Investigative ophthalmology & visual science
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · Aug 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialScotopic electroretinogram in term infants born of mothers supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid during pregnancy.
To test the hypothesis that the supplementation of the diets of pregnant women with a fish oil rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enhances retinal development in their healthy term infants, as measured during the early postnatal period by the electroretinogram (ERG). ⋯ These findings demonstrate an association between the DHA status of term infants and retinal sensitivity, suggesting an essential role of this long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) in the development and function of the retina. However, maternal DHA status was not significantly associated with infant retinal sensitivity and no direct effect of maternal supplementation was observed.