The Search for Prodigy Pills Continues

Some clinicians recommend that pregnant women take docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplements to improve fetal brain development. To assess the effects of a daily 800-mg DHA prenatal supplement, Australian investigators conducted a randomized, controlled trial involving 726 pregnant women and their offspring. At 18 months, no significant between-group differences were noted in the children's cognitive scores (NEJM JW Psychiatry Nov 15 2010).

At the 4-year follow-up, objective assessments of cognition and language also were similar between groups, even after adjustment for study site, child's sex, maternal education, parity, and smoking.