A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 8 studies with a total of 1 567 women assessing the clinical effects of fatty acid supplementation to lactating mothers on development and growth of their children. No significant difference was found in children's neurodevelopment at long-term follow-up beyond 24 months (moderate quality evidence): language development (SMD -0.27, 95% CI -0.56 to 0.02; 2 trials, n=187); intelligence or problem-solving ability (SMD -0.00, 95% CI -0.36 to 0.36; 3 studies, n=238); psychomotor development (SMD -0.11, 95% CI -0.48 to 0.26; 1 trial, n=113); motor development (SMD -0.23, 95% CI -0.60 to 0.14; 1 trial, n=115); in child attention there was a significant difference (MD 4.70, 95% CI 1.30 to 8.10; 1 study, n=110). For child visual acuity there was no significant difference (SMD 0.33, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.71; 1 trial, n=111).
For growth, there were no significant differences in length (MD -0.39 cm, 95% CI -1.37 to 0.60; 4 trials, n=441) and head circumference (MD 0.15 cm, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.58; 3 trials, n=298). Child fat mass and fat mass distribution did not differ between the intervention and control group in one trial. One study reported a significant difference in infant allergy (RR 0.12, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.95). No significant difference was found in one trial evaluating postpartum depression.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (incomplete outcome data in half of the studies), by inconsistency (heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes), and by imprecise results (limited study size for each comparison).
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