Presenter(s): Jessica Heierle
Co Presenter(s): Nora Kearns
Faculty Mentor(s): Elinor Sullivan & Hanna Gustaffsson
Poster 38
Session: Sciences
Several human studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acid intake is associated with positive mental health outcomes in young mothers, though their influence on maternal behavior remains unexplored. Recent rodent research on omega-3 adequate and deficient mice showed that omega-3 adequate mothers displayed more nurturing behaviors. Omega-3s are known to have anti-inflammatory properties which is a potential mechanism for their effect on mental health. Limited evidence exists on the influence of anti-inflammatory FAs and maternal behavior. This study tested the hypothesis that plasma omega-3 FAs and a high omega-3:6 ratio would positively influence maternal behavior. Ten minute free-play interactions from 62 mother-infant pairs were videotaped and maternal behavior was coded using a well-validated scheme. Maternal FA levels were measured in plasma collected during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Spearman’s correlations were calculated using SPSS. We found significant positive correlations between omega-3 FAs and maternal sensitivity/responsiveness (r=0.533, p=0.004) and the composite sensitive parenting score (r=0.366, p=0.047). We also found a significant positive correlation between the omega-3:6 ratio and sensitivity/responsiveness (r=0.451, p=0.031), and a negative correlation between total PUFA levels and intrusiveness (r=-0.454, p=0.020). These results indicate that omega-3 consumption and a high omega-3:6 ratio may contribute to improved maternal mood and behavior. If supported by additional studies, these findings suggest that a diet high in omega-3s could benefit maternal mental health and, through improvements in maternal behavior, the infant offspring.