Children’s Health Parents in Chicago, USA Need to Have More Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Their Diets

A new study has found out that parents in Chicago do not meet the recommended levels of Omega-3 fatty acids and that women consume far less amounts of omega-3 fatty acids than men. This deficiency has the potential to have a direct negative effect on the health of children.

Chicago/USA – A new survey-based study from Northwestern University, which examined the diets of parents across every Chicago neighborhood, found that parental intake of omega-3 fatty acids falls below recommended levels, with women consuming even lower amounts of omega-3 fatty acids than men. This deficiency may have direct negative effects on children’s health.

The study, which included over a thousand parents, found several factors were associated with lower omega-3 intake from food. These included lower household income, certain self-reported racial and ethnic backgrounds, and not taking supplements that contain DHA. Particularly relevant for children’s health, women who had previously experienced a premature birth reported consuming less omega-3 fatty acids than those who had not.

The findings were published in the journal Nutrients. Although this study included only Chicagoans, the authors said the findings were likely representative of the wider U.S. parent population.

Omega-3 fatty acids (specifically eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA) are found in high concentrations in seafoods and in lower concentrations in eggs, poultry and other foods. They support brain development, cognitive function and retina health, help regulate immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, and play a crucial role in adults’ cardiovascular health.

On average, parents reported consuming significantly less than the 250 mg/day of EPA and DHA recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other medical groups, an amount typically achieved through regular seafood consumption. The mothers in the survey consumed just over 130 mg/day, on average, and the fathers consumed just over 160 mg/day. The study did not assess children’s dietary intake.

“As our children grow from infancy to early childhood, they are developing their own dietary habits, and a lot of that comes from our parents and what’s happening in the household,” said corresponding author 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.

“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.”

EPA and DHA’s link to preterm birth

Previous research has shown that mothers with lower intakes of omega-3 fatty acids are at higher risk of delivering their babies prematurely. In this study, mothers who reported lower current intake of EPA and DHA were more likely to have had a preterm birth in a past pregnancy, even after accounting 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.’”

Strategies to improve EPA and DHA consumption

Helping parents consume more omega-3 fatty acids could have real public-health benefits, including lowering the risk of preterm birth, the study authors said. They noted that the most effective strategies will likely take into account the many personal, social and cultural factors that influence what families eat. These strategies could include tailored dietary guidelines at both national and local levels, as well as consistent support from health care providers who offer nutrition advice to families and pregnant people.

“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.”

How the study worked

To participate in the study, individuals had to have at least one child living with them. The researchers used data from the Voices of Child Health in Chicago Panel Survey, which collects responses from parents three times a year on topics related to child and adolescent health, family well-being and parenting.

Between May and July 2022, 1,057 participants completed a seven-question food frequency questionnaire to estimate their current intake of EPA and DHA from food sources. Parents also responded to questions as to whether they used DHA-containing supplements. The scientists also linked participants’ residential information to the Childhood Opportunity Index, a measure of neighborhood resources and conditions that reflect health potential for the children living in that neighborhood. Also, women were asked whether they had ever experienced a preterm birth.

Which sources are best for omega-3 fatty acids?

Seafood, especially oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel and trout, provides the “biggest bang for your buck,” Robinson said. While DHA supplements can help increase someone’s levels of DHA, Robinson said the best way to consume it is along with other nutrients, such as protein, vitamins and micronutrients that are found in the whole foods.

The study is titled, “Parental intake of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in a diverse, urban city in the United States is associated with indicators of children’s health potential.” Marie Heffernan, assistant professor of pediatrics at Feinberg, also is a study author.

Funding for the study was provided by an anonymous family foundation dedicated to supporting research that advances community health in low-resource neighborhoods and the Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities.

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