Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) Nutrition 5-Year-Olds X Section
Condition: Breastfeeding
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      In humans, docosahexanoic acid (DHA) is concentrated in brain. After birth, DHA is obtained
      from breast milk or the child's diet. The investigators are studying whether DHA intakes in
      young children are adequate to support brain development. This is a cross-sectional study of
      children 5-6 years-old.
    

Detailed description: 
      This research involves recruitment of a cross-sectional cohort of children 5 years of age and
      their mothers. The purpose is to assess the relationship between the child's diet, DHA status
      and neural, cognitive and behavioral development. Hypotheses: 1. Children with low DHA status
      will be at increased risk for poor scores on tests of development. 2. Family food practices
      will be major determinant of DHA intake of preschool children in our population. 3. Genetic
      variation in fatty acid metabolism will influence blood fatty acids in preschool children.

      Objectives: 1. To determine if low DHA status among children 5-6 years-of-age is associated
      with low scores on tests of development; 2. To identify the dietary patterns that place
      children at risk for poor DHA status, 3. To show genetic variation also alters blood fatty
      acids in children.

      This research will recruit a cohort of 5-6year-old children (n= 200). Subjects will attend
      our nutrition lab at the Child and Family Research Institute where the child will complete
      play-like developmental assessments. Measurement of blood pressure, heart rate, height and
      weight will be completed and blood samples will be collected to measure DHA status and
      polymorphisms (SNP) in genes of fatty acid metabolism. The parent will be asked to provide
      information on the child' diet and health. Baseline characteristics for the subjects will be
      summarized using descriptive statistics. Logistic regression will be used to assess the
      relationship of DHA status to cognitive development with multi-variable-adjusted odds ratios
      (ORs) of a negative outcome and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Regressions will
      also be run with the outcomes in continuous form to assess the changes in scores associated
      with increments of child DHA status. For all multivariate regression models, potential
      confounders will be screened in stepwise fashion, and any covariate with a regression
      coefficient P-value < 0.05 (two-sided) will be retained. Variables will include gender, birth
      weight, gestation length, maternal intelligence quotient (IQ), ethnicity, breast-feeding
      duration, birth order, and dichotomized variables of child health, eating behavior and
      martial status. Children will grouped in quintiles of blood DHA and descriptive statistics
      will be used to present intakes of total fat, individual fatty acids. ANOVA will be used to
      determine if genetic variables in Fetal Akinesia Deformation Sequence (FADS) influence blood
      DHA.
    

Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Probability Sample
Study population: 
        This is a cross-sectional study of children 5-6 years-old.
      
Biospecimen description: 
      Plasma and blood cells
    
Keywords: essential fatty acids; DHA; preschool children; docosahexanoic acid (DHA)