Resumen de Maternal Docosahexaenoic Acid Intake Levels During Pregnancy and Infant Performance on a Novel Object Search Task at 22 Months

Alison Rees, Sylvain Sirois, Alison Wearden

• This study investigated maternal prenatal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake and infant cognitive development at 22 months. Estimates for second- and third-trimester maternal DHA intake levels were obtained using a comprehensive Food Frequency Questionnaire. Infants (n = 67) were assessed at 22 months on a novel object search task. Mothers' DHA intake levels were divided into high or low groups, with analyses revealing a significant positive effect of third-trimester DHA on object search task performance. The third trimester appears to be a critical time for ensuring adequate maternal DHA levels to facilitate optimum cognitive development in late infancy.