Fatty Acid Could Offset Postpartum Depression and Improve Babies' Development

Contact: Charmayne Marsh 202-872-4445 in Washington

April 4--11, 2002, in Orlando407-685-8070

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, April 8, 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time

Fatty acid could offset postpartum depression and improve babies' development

ORLANDO, Fla., April 8 -- Pregnant or nursing women may be able to reduce their chances of developing postpartum depression and improve the neurological development of their babies by increasing their consumption of the essential fatty acid DHA, according to David Kyle, Ph.D., the U.S. director of the Mother and Child Foundation. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an omega-3 fatty acid mostly found in fish like tuna and salmon and in algae.

Approximately 15-20 percent of women who give birth in the United States develop postpartum depression, according to Kyle, who spoke today at the 223rd national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. "We believe that the high incidence of postpartum depression in the United States may be triggered by a low dietary intake of DHA," he said.

Kyle's organization studies nutrition for mothers and its effect on their babies. While DHA has been recognized as beneficial to infants, there has been less public awareness of the apparent link between DHA and postpartum depression, according to Kyle. He described a number of independent studies that appear to verify this connection, and urged that more attention be given to the role of DHA in nursing and pregnant women.

Kyle noted a study by Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the National Institutes of Health that found a "highly statistically significant inverse correlation" between the intake levels of DHA and incidents of clinical depression. "The higher the intake of DHA, the lower the incidence of depression," Kyle emphasized. That study was published in the journal Lancet in 1998.

Kyle also pointed out that a more recent study by Hibbeln has "found exactly the same correlation" between the incidence of postpartum depression and levels of DHA in breast milk. This study specifically looked at DHA in breast milk, as opposed to DHA intake, and postpartum depression rather than overall clinical depression, Kyle added. The study was first presented last year at a meeting of the American Psychological Association.

A Dutch study, which Kyle also cited, found that during pregnancy the placenta pumps DHA from the expectant mother to the fetus, thus depleting the woman's DHA levels and making her more susceptible to depression. That 1997 study was done by Gerrard Hornstra, Ph.D., of Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Clinical studies show that the level of DHA in mother's milk is dependent upon a woman's diet, according to Kyle. U.S. women typically consume about 40-50 milligrams of DHA in their daily diet compared to about 200 milligrams for Europeans and about 600 milligrams for Japanese women, he noted. "The DHA content of mother's milk in the United States is among the lowest in the world," Kyle added.

Babies who receive sufficient levels of DHA either in mother's milk or from DHA-supplemented infant formulas also benefit, Kyle emphasized. He noted a study by Dr. Craig Jensen at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, with nursing mothers -- half given 200-milligram DHA supplements and the other half given placebos -- that showed the DHA content in the milk of the women in the supplemented group was double that of the control group.

"The toddlers, who were nursed from the mums getting the extra DHA, performed significantly better [on standard neurological motor function tests] than those toddlers nursed from mums who were getting the placebo," Kyle said. The Baylor study tracked the children's neurological development during their first two and a half years.

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the addition of DHA in infant formulas sold in this country. DHA-supplemented formula is already available in about 60 countries around the world, Kyle said. Earlier this year, the two major manufacturers of infant formulas sold in the United States announced plans to introduce DHA-supplemented formulas for the U.S. market.

The only type of DHA supplementation so far approved by the FDA for infant formulas sold in the United States is an oil derived from micro algae. Kyle's former company, Martek Biosciences Corporation, which he co-founded in 1985, is the only manufacturer of the oil.

Kyle recommends that women who want to increase their own levels of DHA can either take dietary supplements, which are available in grocery stores and pharmacies, or eat grilled, broiled or baked fish.

Kyle was named the U.S. director of the Mother and Child Foundation this year. The foundation is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to studying the importance of the nutrition of mothers and its affect on their babies.

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The paper on this research, AGFD 28, will be presented at 2:00 p.m., Monday, April 8, at the Convention Center, Room 202B, Level 2, during the symposium, "Nutraceutical and Specialty Lipids."

David J. Kyle, Ph.D., is the U.S. director of the Mother and Child Foundation and is President and CEO of Advanced BioNutrition Corp. in Columbia, Md.

-- Marvin Coyner

#13185 Released 04/08/2002

Embargoed: Monday, April 8, 2:00 p.m. Eastern TimeAGFD 28 [495307] Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): a new functional food ingredient for maternal nutritionDavid J. Kyle, Mother and Child Foundation, 6430 Dobbin Rd, Columbia, MD 21045, [email protected]

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the primary structural fatty acid in the membranes of neurological tissues and is an essential nutrient in the diet of infants. Infants are supplied with preformed DHA in utero from their mother by specific transplacental delivery of this molecule. Once the baby is born, DHA is provided in breast milk. Supplementation of infant formulas with DHA at the same levels as is present in human milk has now been proven to improve the neurological and visual outcomes of infants. The amount of DHA available to the growing fetus or nursing infant is dependent on the DHA intake of the mother. High DHA intake is correlated with better birth outcomes such as heavier birth weights, fewer premature births, and lower incidence of pregnancy induced hypertension. Postnatally, mothers consuming as little as 200 mg DHA/day had significantly higher DHA levels in their breast milk and infants nursed from supplemented mothers exhibited significantly better psychomotor development at 30 months of age compared to controls. Preliminary evidence also suggests that women with higher breast milk DHA levels also exhibit lower rates of postpartum depression. These and other observations, lead to recommendations that women with particularly low levels of dietary DHA, such as found in the United States, should consume foods rich in DHA preconceptually, during pregnancy, and for a considerable period of time post partum in order to improve the birth outcome and quality of life for both the infant and the mother.

Embargoed: Monday, April 8, 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time

AGFD 28 Non-technical Summary

Division: Division of Agricultural & Food ChemistryTitle: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): a new functional food ingredient for maternal nutritionPresenting Author: David J. KyleMother and Child Foundation6430 Dobbin Rd Columbia, MD 21045TEL 410-730-8600FAX [email protected]

I am pleased that you have recognized the fundamental significance of this presentation to all Americans and that it is a highly visible news media item. Indeed, it is more relevant now than when the abstract was submitted: in light of the recent press announcements (January 10, 2002) by the two major infant formula manufacturers in the United States (Ross/Abbott - maker of Similac and Mead Johnson -- maker of Enfamil) announcing that they decided to include these products in all their infant formulas. See press releases associated with this issue at the Martek website (www.marketbio.com).

Briefly explain in lay language what you have done, why it is significant and its implications, particularly to the general public. DHA and ARA are key building blocks of the brains and eyes of babies and are naturally provided to the growing infant from the mother. During pregnancy, the placenta actively pumps these key fats from the mother to the fetus. After birth this fats are provided in the mother's breast milk. Infants who are given infant formula in the United States quickly become deficient in DHA and ARA. This report summarizes the data of a number of clinical trials which clearly indicate that the addition of DHA and ARA to infant formulas at a level that matches mothers milk levels results in a significant improvement of the mental outcome of babies. Furthermore, providing mothers with more DHA in their diet while nursing can elevate the DHA levels in their breast milk which also results in improved mental outcomes for the infants after 30 months. Because of this data, the two producers of infant formula in this country announced on January 10, 2002 that they intend to change their infant formulas to include DHA and ARA. This is the most significant change in infant formulas in 30 years.

How new is this work and how does it differ from that of others who may be doing similar research?This work has been going on for about 15 years. However, the accumulation of the data has only just recently reached the point of resulting in a wholesale change in infant formula composition in the United States. This announcement was just made (January 10,2002) and the new formulas should be just appearing on the shelves at the time of the ACS Conference. Consequently, you might be able to pick up additional press on the subject by this launch.

Indicate if the material in your presentation (or similar research) has received prior media coverage and, if so, which publications or broadcast stations might have reported it.

This has been a Hot Topic for the last three years. It has been considered controversial and has been reported in the NY Times, the Washington Post and other widely read newspapers. Because of its importance to everyone in the country the issue was also raised in newsmagazines such as Newsweek, Time, etc. The new story is that the controversy is now over; the babies of the country have won over the commercial concerns of the infant formula manufacturers. The WHO/FAO recommendations and those of other learned bodies have now been translated into reality in the United States. Formula companies are no longer fighting this, but adopting it. This is all because of good research, good data, and constant pressure on them to change. The presentation at the ACS will cover the highlights of this story and some new twists on the importance of the DHA supplementation to the mother herself in the reduction of postpartum depression.

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