Early serum n‐6 and n‐3 fatty acid profile and preschool‐age neurodevelopment

Objectives Evidence suggests that adequate supplies of omega‐6 (n‐6) and omega‐3 (n‐3) fatty acids (FAs) are beneficial for brain development, but serum data are scarce. We explored correlations between early serum proportions of n‐6 and n‐3 FAs and neurodevelopment at 4 years of age. Methods Serum proportions for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), total n‐3 and the n‐6/n‐3 ratio were analysed from umbilical‐cord, at 4 and 12 months for 119 children born vaginally at full‐term at the Halland Hospital Halmstad, Sweden, in 2008–2009. Neurodevelopmental testing at 4 years of age included the complete Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI‐III) and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ‐3). Pearson correlation analysis was conducted for WPPSI‐III and Spearman's rho for ASQ‐3 followed by forward‐selection regression models for significant correlations. Results Higher proportions of DHA, n‐3 FAs and low n‐6/n‐3 ratio at birth correlated with higher gross motor scores at age 4 (Spearman's rho, 0.278, 0.292 and −0.261, p < 0.05). Low n‐6/n‐3 ratio at 12 months correlated with higher full‐scale intelligence quotient (IQ) and higher verbal IQ (−0.279 and −0.269, p < 0.05), at age 4. Conclusions In this exploratory study, elevated serum n‐3 FAs and low n‐6/n‐3 ratio during the brain growth spurt show statistical correlations with higher neurodevelopmental scores with respect to motor control, verbal abilities, and overall cognition at 4 years of age, with small‐to moderate effect sizes.