Effect of Fish Oil Supplementation in Women With Gestational Diabetes on Insulin Like Growth Factor-1 DNA Methylation in Newborns

Gestational diabetes is the development of diabetes during pregnancy. According to the National Institutes of Health, gestational diabetes occurs in about 5 percent of all pregnancies in the United States, resulting in about 200,000 cases a year. Treatment involves dietary measures, exercise and, in some cases, insulin injections. All pregnant women should be taking a prescribed pre-natal vitamin, and should also supplement with fish oil or another source of omega-3 fatty acids to help support the nervous system of their developing child.

Left untreated, gestational diabetes and preeclampsia can lead to serious -- or even fatal -- complications for both mother and child. In diabetic pregnancies there is an increased risk of birth defects. Some evidence suggesting omega-3 fatty acids might help protect women from two serious pregnancy complications -- gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), help a pregnant woman give her developing baby every advantage in life starting in-utero. In general the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish help the cardiovascular system, the brain (including moods), and even the brain and eyes of a developing baby. The risk of pre-term delivery and low birth weight is three and a half times higher when mothers are deficient in DHA. Recent studies suggested that the biologic processes underlying the observed associations may involve epigenetic changes, specifically DNA methylation. In this study the investigators aimed to examine the effect of fish oil supplementation in women with gestational diabetes mellitus on newborn outcomes and insulin like growth factor 1 DNA methylation.