Preterm babies have improved eyesight when given certain fatty acids

Preterm babies given a supplement with a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have better visual function by the age of two and a half. This has been shown by a study at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe, covers 178 extremely preterm babies at the neonatal units of the university hospitals in Gothenburg, Lund, and Stockholm between 2016 and 2019. Extremely preterm babies are those born before the 28th week of pregnancy.

Around half of the children were given preventive oral nutritional supplements containing the omega-6 fatty acid AA (arachidonic acid) and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Neither AA nor DHA are included in the supplements that are currently routinely given to extremely preterm babies immediately after birth.

The researchers have previously found that the combination supplement led to the risk of contracting the sight-threatening eye disease ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) being halved. The current study looks at children's visual development at two and a half years of corrected age.

Study's first author Pia Lundgren, an associate professor said, "The study shows that children who have received the combination supplement had improved visual function, regardless of whether or not they had previously had ROP. The improved visual development was thus not only due to the beneficial effect on the retina. The supplement also seems to have improved the brain's ability to interpret visual impressions."

Reference: Pia Lundgren, Lena Jacobson, Lotta Gränse, Anna-Lena Hård, Karin Sävman, Ingrid Hansen-Pupp, David Ley, Anders K. Nilsson, Aldina Pivodic, Lois E. Smith, Ann Hellström. Visual outcome at 2.5 years of age in ω-3 and ω-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplemented preterm infants: a follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe, 2023; 100696 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100696