Prenatal Omega-3 Supplementation Not Universally Effective in Reducing Childhood Eczema

A recent study, published in the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology, examined the impact of prenatal omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3 PUFA) supplementation on childhood eczema. While the study did not find a significant reduction in the overall incidence of eczema among children, there is an intriguing subgroup-specific effect.

The study highlighted the increasing prevalence of eczema and its potential links to dietary factors, particularly the balance between omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. While ω-3 PUFAs, found in fatty fish, have anti-inflammatory properties, the study suggests that supplementation during pregnancy might not universally protect against childhood eczema.

The systematic review and meta-analysis pooled data from 6 unique randomized controlled trials involving 1646 mother-infant pairs and explored the relationship between ω-3 PUFA supplementation during pregnancy and the risk of childhood eczema. The primary outcome assessed was the prevalence of "any eczema," and a secondary outcome was "IgE-associated eczema," characterized by positive skin prick tests or IgE antibodies.

The overall meta-analysis results demonstrated no substantial decrease in the incidence of "any eczema" (RR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.82~1.46, P = 0.54) or "IgE-associated eczema" (RR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.29~1.57; P = 0.34) in children whose mothers received ω-3 PUFA supplementation during pregnancy.

However, the study revealed an intriguing finding in the subgroup analysis. Specifically, among children aged 3 years or younger, there was a notable reduction in the risk of "IgE-associated eczema" in the ω-3 PUFA group compared with the placebo group (RR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.50~0.96; P = 0.03).

“The available evidence showed that fish oil supplementation during pregnancy does not reduce ‘any eczema’/‘IgE-associated eczema’ in all children, and there may be a subgroup-specific effect under 3 years of life in reducing the incidence of IgE-associated eczema,” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Jia Y, Huang Y, Wang H, Jiang H. Effect of prenatal omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on childhood eczema: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2023;184(1):21-32. doi:10.1159/000526366