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Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Supplementation in High Risk Pregnancies

Not Applicable
Conditions
Pregnancy Related
Inflammation
Interventions
Dietary Supplement: DHA supplement
Registration Number
NCT04069195
Lead Sponsor
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Brief Summary

Purpose: Determine the effects of maternal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy on levels of DHA, synaptamide (novel anti-inflammatory metabolite), and inflammatory biomarkers during pregnancy and at delivery

Research Design: Double blind randomized placebo-controlled study of maternal DHA supplementation during pregnancy.

Methodology /Technical Approach: Investigators plan to enroll 100 pregnant women with a high risk pregnancy related to (1) a pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥30.0 kg/m2 and/or (2) a history of prior preterm delivery at ≤35+6 weeks gestation. Women will be enrolled between the 8th and 14th week of pregnancy and randomized to receive a once daily DHA supplement (DSM Nutritional Products, Columbia Maryland, DHA capsule 441mg/cap) or a placebo (DSM Nutritional Products, Columbia Maryland, Corn Oil/Soybean oil 50/50 mix) for the duration of the pregnancy. DHA is an omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) and placebo composed of omega-6 LCPUFA's. Investigators will measure maternal levels of plasma DHA, Synaptamide and inflammatory biomarkers at enrollment, at 26-30 weeks of pregnancy, and from cord blood at delivery. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics will be collected for each mother from pregnancy onset until discharge following delivery. The infant health record and parental report will be reviewed to record clinical data from birth to 12 months corrected age for short term health outcomes potentially related to inflammation-related morbidities, including growth and development, acute infection requiring hospital admission, and any allergic disorder. All plasma samples will be processed at Dr. Kim's NIAAA/NIH laboratories using high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

Detailed Description

All pregnant women meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria will be identified at the time of their regular OB appointments between the 8th and the 14th week of pregnancy (+/- 3 days) Research team members will approach potential subjects to explain the study and obtain consent for their participation Patients who give their consent for enrollment will be asked to complete a dietary survey at the time of enrollment Patients will be given a paper script for study drug to be taken to the Walter Reed Military Medical Center pharmacy to obtain study drug The Investigational Pharmacy will randomize the patients in double blinded fashion to the intervention group or placebo group.

Patients in the intervention group will recieve a \~1000mg capsule containing \~400mg of DHA. This is not standard of care and is being done for research purposes only Patients in the Placebo group will recieve a \~1000mg capusle containing no DHA and filled with 50:50 mix of corn and soybean oils. This oil is ubiquitous in the american diet and only a very small amount of additional oil will be ingested for study purposes. Giving pregnant women this oil is not standard of care and is being done for research purposes only The placebo and intervention drugs will be packaged in the same capsule membrane and will be indistinguishable by color, shape, or taste.

Patients will be instructed to take 1 capule PO daily until their child is delivered Patients will be issued a 3 month supply of study drug at enrollment and will get refills from the investigational pharmacy

≤5ml of whole blood will be obtained from each subject at enrollment and at 26-30 weeks gestation (+/- 3 days), as part of a routine blood sampling. It is standard of care to collect blood at this point in pregnancy for lab evaluation. The additional tube of blood collected for this study is for research purposes only and not part of the standard of care. This sample will be centrifuged, and the separated plasma will be labeled and frozen at -80° C pending transport to Dr. Kim's lab at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) for bulk analyses.

At delivery, ≤5ml of umbilical cord blood will be obtained from an umbilical artery and from the umbilical vein. These samples will be processed and stored in a similar fashion as the earlier samples. Cord blood is a medical waste product, and collection will therefore have no adverse effect for either mother or newborn. It is standard of care to collect cord blood by OB request for lab evaluation. Collecting additional cord blood for this study anaylsis is for research purposes only All enrollees will complete a dietary survey upon enrollment at 8-14 weeks (+/- 3 days), at 26-30th week of pregnancy (+/- 3 days), and during the delivery admission. This survey will also include the subject's self-report on compliance with taking the study supplement All plasma samples collected will be processed at Dr. Kim's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism/ National Insititute of Health (NIAAA/NIH) laboratories The Cytokine Assays for IL-6, Il-10, TNF- alpha will be run in Dr Kim's lab using Ensyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) testing The DHA and Synaptamide levels will be analyzed in Dr. Kim's lab using High performance liquid chromatrography with tandem mass spectrometry All babies from multiple birth pregnancies will be enrolled in this study The offspring of enrolled women will be followed through 12 months corrected age to assess the longer term outcomes of study intervention Information will be collected from the maternal medical record at time of enrollment, infant delivery and postpartum discharge.

Information will be collected from the infant medical record at time of birth discharge, and 12 months corrected age.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
210
Inclusion Criteria
  • regnant female military health care beneficiaries ≥18 years of age
  • Between the 8th and 14th week of pregnancy at enrollment
  • BMI of ≥30.0 kg/m2 and/or history of previous preterm delivery at <36 weeks gestation
  • Planning to deliver at WRNMMC
  • DEERS-eligible
  • All infants born to mothers enrolled in this study who do not meet any exclusion criteria
Exclusion Criteria
  • Routine use of DHA supplement (including DHA containing prenatal vitamins) and/or fish consumption greater than twice per week
  • Women with a fish allergy
  • Known major fetal anomaly believed to be lethal
  • Maternal treatment for clotting disorder
  • Allergy to corn or soybean oils

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
DHA supplementDHA supplementPatients in the intervention group will recieve a \~1000mg capsule containing \~400mg of DHA. This is not standard of care and is being done for research purposes only. Patients will take this capsule once daily begining between 8-14 weeks of pregnancy until delivery of their infant.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Measure synaptamideSample obtained from cord blood at time of infant delivery

Measurement of fetal plasma synaptamide using tandem mass spec

Measure inflammatory biomarkersSample obtained from cord blood at time of infant delivery

Measurement of plasma cytokine levels using ELISA human cytokine panel

Measure DHASample obtained from cord blood at time of infant delivery

Measurement of fetal plasma DHA using tandem mass spec

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
infant weight at 12 months corrected ageat 12 months corrected

Weight at 12 months corrected age documented in medical record in placebo vs intervention group

Length weight at 12 months corrected ageat 12 months corrected

Length at 12 months corrected age documented in medical record in placebo vs intervention group

Length at birthAt time of infant birth

Measurement of length at birth in placebo vs. Intervention

Maternal Gestational weight gain at end of pregnancy in placebo vs. DHA supplement groupsAt time of infant delivery

Compare maternal gestational weight gain at the end of pregnancy between intervention and placebo groups

Infant delivery methodAt time of infant delivery

Compare delivery method used to delivery infant between intervention and placebo groups

Maternal deathFrom enrollment in study at 8-14 weeks of pregnancy until 6 months after infant delivery

Number of maternal deaths in intervention group vs placebo group

chorioamionitisFrom enrollment in study at 8-14 weeks of pregnancy until 42 weeks of pregnancy or day of infant delivery, whichever happens first

Presence or absence of chorioamionitis in intervention vs placebo groups

Gestational Diabetes MelitusFrom enrollment in study at 8-14 weeks of pregnancy until 42 weeks of pregnancy or day of infant delivery, whichever happens first

Presence or absence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in intervention vs placebo groups

Delivery complicationsat time of infant delivery

Compare any documented delivery complications between intervention and placebo groups

Pre-eclampsiaFrom enrollment in study at 8-14 weeks of pregnancy until 42 weeks of pregnancy or day of infant delivery, whichever happens first

Presence or absence of pre-eclampsia in intervention vs placebo groups

Days of antibiotic exposure during birth hospitalizationDuring birth admission up to 8 months of chronologic age or discharge from hospital whichever happens sooner

Number of 24hr periods in which infant was exposed to antibiotics during birth hospitalization

non-gestational Diabetes mellitusFrom enrollment in study at 8-14 weeks of pregnancy until 42 weeks of pregnancy or day of infant delivery, whichever happens first

Presence or absence of non-Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in intervention vs placebo groups

Preterm Premature Rupture of MembranesFrom enrollment in study at 8-14 weeks of pregnancy until 42 weeks of pregnancy or day of infant delivery, whichever happens first

Presence or absence of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes in intervention vs placebo groups

going past due datesduring last month of pregnancy

Presence or absence of going past due dates in intervention vs placebo groups

Placental pathologyat time of delivery

Any placental pathology documented on maternal delivery summary in intervention vs. placebo groups

Head circumference at birthAt time of infant birth

Measurement of head circumference at birth in placebo vs. Intervention

Gestational age at birthAt time of infant birth

Gestational age at infant birth in both placebo and intervention groups

weight at birthAt time of infant birth

Measurement of weight at birth in placebo vs. Intervention

APGAR score at 1 minAt time of infant birth

APGAR score assessed for infants in both placebo and intervention groups

APGAR score at 5 minAt time of infant birth

APGAR score assessed for infants in both placebo and intervention groups

Resuscitation beyond warm/dry stimulate at birthAt time of infant birth

Presence or absence of any resuscitation beyond warm, dry and stimulate at infant birth

Presence or absence or requirement for respiratory assistance within the first 24 hours after birthFrom NICU admission to 24 hours after birth

Presence or absence of any respiratory support outside of the delivery room in first 24 hours of birth placebo vs intervention groups

NICU admissionWithin the first 5 days of infant's life

Presence or absence of NICU admission in placebo vs intervention groups

Duration of birth admissionBirth through 12 months of age or infant discharge, whichever occurs sooner

Number of 24hr periods patient was present in hospital during birth admission

Culture proven sepsisFrom birth through 12 months or until infant discharge whichever occurs sooner

Presence or absence of culture proven sepsis during birth admission in placebo vs intervention groups

Requirement for phototherapy during birth admissionBirth through 14 days of infant life

Presence or absence of phototherapy during birth admission in placebo vs intervention groups

Infant DeathFrom birth through 12 months or until infant discharge whichever occurs sooner

Number of infants that died during birth hospitalization in both the placebo and intervention groups

Weight at infant hospital dischargeAt time of infant's first discharge from hospital or at 12 months corrected, whichever comes first

Weight at infant hospital discharge in placebo vs intervention group

head circumference at infant hospital dischargeAt time of infant's first discharge from hospital or at 12 months corrected, whichever comes first

head circumference at infant hospital discharge in placebo vs intervention group

Length at infant hospital dischargeAt time of infant's first discharge from hospital or at 12 months corrected, whichever comes first

Length at infant hospital discharge in placebo vs intervention group

Feeding plan at infant dischargeAt 12 months chronological if still admitted or at infant discharge, whichever occurs sooner

Feeding plan documented as exclusive breastfeeding, formula and breastfeeding or exclusive formula feeding

Infant diagnosis in medical recordat 12 months corrected

Compare infant diagnosis recorded in medical record in placebo vs intervention group

infant weight at 6 months corrected ageat 6 months corrected

Weight at 6 months corrected age documented in medical record in placebo vs intervention group

head circumferene weight at 6 months corrected ageat 6 months corrected

head circumferene at 6 months corrected age documented in medical record in placebo vs intervention group

head circumference weight at 12 months corrected ageat 12 months corrected

head circumference at 12 months corrected age documented in medical record in placebo vs intervention group

Indication of infant developmental delay in medical record from birth through 12 months correctedbirth through 12 months corrected

Presence or absence of any indication of developmental delay recorded by physician in the medical record through 12 months corrected in intervention vs placebo groups

Number of antibiotic prescriptions for infant through first 12 months correctedbirth through 12 months corrected

Number of antibiotic prescriptions for infant through first 12 months corrected in intervention vs placebo

number of inpatient days for infant through 12 months correctedbirth through 12 months corrected

number of inpatient days for infant through 12 months corrected in intervention vs placebo

Number of outpatient visits for infant during first 12 months correctedbirth through12 months corrected

Number of outpatient visits recorded during first 12 months corrected in placebo vs. intervention groups

Failure to thrive in for infantbirth through 12 months corrected

Presence or absence of diagnosis "failure to thrive" in medical record through first 12 months corrected in placebo vs intervention

Length weight at 6 months corrected ageat 6 months corrected

Length at 6 months corrected age documented in medical record in placebo vs intervention group

Documented infant feeding plan through first yearbirth through 12 months corrected

Documented infant feeding plan through first year. Exclusive breastfeeding, formula and breastfeeding or exclusive formula

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Walter Reed National Miltiary medical center

🇺🇸

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

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