Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation for prevention and treatment of perinatal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials

Background Available interventions for preventing and treating perinatal depression remain unsatisfactory. Aims We examined the prophylactic and therapeutic effects, as well as adverse effects, of n-3 PUFA supplementation in reducing depressive symptoms during perinatal periods. Methods We included randomized, placebo-controlled trials that reported the changes of depression severity after the perinatal participants received n-3 PUFA supplementation. After the comprehensive searches in October 2019, we selected the trials, extracted the data, and assessed the quality of included trials. We compared the standardized mean differences (SMD) of depression score changes between groups using a random-effect model. Results We included 11 trials in the meta-analysis and one more trial for qualitative analysis (N = 3,181). The pooled standardized mean of decreased depression scores revealed no statistically significant difference between the n-3 PUFA and the placebo groups (N = 920, SMDs = -0.05, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.10, I-2 = 21%). The pooled SMDs showed no statistically significant efficacy of n-3 PUFA supplementation for prevention (N = 779, SMDs = -0.03, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.13, I-2 = 24%) and treatment (N = 141, SMDs = -0.14, 95% CI -0.55 to 0.27, I-2 = 31%) of perinatal depression. The efficacy of n-3 PUFA supplementation was not associated with the daily doses of DHA, EPA, or DHA plus EPA. No trial reported any serious adverse effect of n-3 PUFA supplements. Conclusions Although n-3 PUFA supplementation may improve maternal and infant outcomes, our meta-analysis found insufficient evidence to determine its benefit for perinatal depression.

Automated summary

Despite potential benefits for maternal and infant outcomes, the meta-analysis concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of n-3 PUFA supplementation in preventing or treating perinatal depression. Additionally, the efficacy of n-3 PUFA supplementation was not influenced by the daily doses of DHA, EPA, or a combination of both.