Testing if fish oil can reduce premature birth
About 1 in 12 babies are born too soon, and often without any warning signs. There are many health risks of being born prematurely, such as lung disease, development delay and in some cases even death.
Omega-3 fats to Reduce the Incidence of Prematurity (ORIP) Trial
You may have heard of omega-3 fatty acids which are natural fats found in fish and fish oils. Omega-3 fats are known to be good for a healthy heart, and there are suggestions that they may also help to prevent some pregnant women from having their baby too early. The goal of the ORIP study is to determine whether increasing the amount of omega-3 fats in the diet of pregnant women will help lower the risk of having a premature baby
Volunteers are helping build a better future for premature babies
Pregnant mums who volunteer in this study are asked:
- to take three capsules per day from enrolment in the trial (at less than 20 weeks) until 34 weeks gestation or the birth of your baby, whichever comes first. (Capsules contain either fish oil with a high amount of omega-3, or vegetable oil with a small amount of omega-3.)
- to provide a fingerpick blood sample at the beginning and end of the study to measure the fatty acid levels in your blood
Acknowledgments
Dr Best is also affiliated with The University of Adelaide.
