Kansas University DHA Outcome Study (KUDOS) Follow-Up

Phase 3

Completed

Conditions: Pregnancy

Interventions: Drug: Placebo Capsule
Drug: DHA

Registration Number: NCT02487771

Lead Sponsor: Susan Carlson, PhD

Brief Summary: This is a continuation study to KUDOS (NCT00266825). The purpose of this study is to follow-up with participants on the original study to determine if the effects of increasing DHA intake during pregnancy increase cognitive development in 2 to 6 year-old children.

Detailed Description: Numerous trials show benefits of postnatal DHA supplementation for visual acuity. There are also numerous observational(not intervention)studies that link higher maternal DHA status during pregnancy to higher cognitive function. Intervention studies that increase DHA exposure during fetal life and that measure cognitive development of infants are lacking; and no study to date has systematically followed children whose mothers were randomly assigned to DHA supplementation to school age with regular 6 month assessments of age-appropriate assessments of cognitive development. The absence of such studies is a serious limitation because there is evidence that differences in cognitive function due to such interventions do not become robust until around age 4 years. Women in the US consume low amounts of DHA compared to other world populations, and this likely means less DHA transfer to the fetus than in many other populations. Prenatal DHA exposure may be more important than postnatal exposure, because animal studies show critical windows for brain DHA accumulation in relation to effects on neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and GABA.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: Female

Target Recruitment: 190

Inclusion Criteria

Pregnant females 16.0-35.0 years of age (inclusive) at 8-20 weeks gestation at enrollment (date/ultrasound)
Agree to consume study capsules from enrollment until delivery
Agree to return to the study center for delivery
BMI < 40
No serious illnesses (e.g., cancer, diabetes, lupus, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, not HIV positive)
Available by telephone

Exclusion Criteria

Less than 16 or greater than 35 years of age
BMI < 40
Serious illness such as cancer, lupus, hepatitis, sexually transmitted disease or HIV positive
Expecting multiple infants
Diabetes or gestational diabetes at baseline
Elevated blood pressure due to any cause
Not planning to return to the study center for delivery
Gestational age at baseline < 8 weeks or >20 weeks
Unable or unwilling to agree to consume capsules until delivery
Unable to provide informed consent in English

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Placebo Capsule	Placebo Capsule	-
DHA Capsule	DHA	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, 3rd Edition; Full Scale IQ	72 Months	The Full Scale IQ score from the Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, 3rd Edition is a standardized measure of a child's general intellectual ability based upon assessments of verbal, cognitive, and performance domains. At three years the Full Scale IQ score has a range of 41 (poorest performance) to 155 (best performance). For the older ages the score can range from 40 to 160. For all ages the assessment is normed to a Mean = 100, St Dev = 15.
Cognitive Function Score - Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test	60 Months	The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, 3rd Edition provides a standardized assessment of a person's receptive vocabulary. The Standard Score can range from 40 (poorest performance) to 160 (best performance) and has been normed to a Mean = 100, St Dev = 15.
Cognitive Function Score - Test of Preschool Early Literacy	42 Months	The Test of Preschool Early Literacy provides a standardized Early Literacy Index score, a measure of general, early literacy skills that relate to later reading and writing skill acquisition. The score is based on assessments of vocabulary, print knowledge, and phonological awareness. The score can range from 40 (poorest performance) to 144 (best performance) and has been normed to a Mean = 100, St Dev = 15.
Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, 3rd Edition; Verbal IQ	72 Months	The Verbal IQ score from the Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, 3rd Edition is a standardized measure of a child's verbal ability based upon assessments of vocabulary, general knowledge, and reasoning. At three years the Verbal IQ score has a range of 49 (poorest performance) to 150 (best performance). For the older ages the score can range from 46 to 155. For all ages the assessment is normed to a Mean = 100, St Dev = 15.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Adaptive Regulation Assessment	72 Months	The Parent Rating Scales of the Behavior Assessment System for Children 2nd Edition measures different aspects of a child's behaviors as reported by a parent. Externalizing Problems is a measure of Aggression and Hyperactivity. Internalizing Problems is a measure of Anxiety, Depression, and Somatization. The Behavioral Symptoms Index is a more global measure of behavior problems and combines Externalizing Problems with the measure of Depression from Internalizing Problems, and additional measures of Atypicality, Withdrawal, and Attention Problems. Adaptive Skills is a measure of Adaptability, Social Skills, Activities of Daily Living, Functional Communication, and at age 6 years Leadership. All scores are derived from the general, combined sex normative tables of T-Scores. For Adaptive Skills higher T-Scores reflect a more optimal outcome. For all other measures lower T-Scores reflect a more optimal outcome. All T-Scores were standardized with a Mean = 50, St Dev = 10.