Department of Nursing, I-Shou University, No. 8, Yida Road, Jiaosu Village, Yanchao District, Kaohsiung City 82445, Taiwan, ROC.
Nursing Department, E-Da Hospital, No.1, Yida Road, Jiaosu Village Yanchao District, Kaohsiung City 82445, Taiwan, ROC.
J Affect Disord. 2018 Oct 1;238:47-61. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.05.018. Epub 2018 May 16.
Women are vulnerable to depression during their childbearing years, and giving birth to a child precipitates postpartum depression (PPD) in some women. This review focuses on comparing the effectiveness of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on depression during pregnancy or PPD after childbirth.
MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Collaboration Registry of Controlled Trials etc. through July 2017 were searched. Studies of dietary intake and plasma and/or milk levels of omega-3 fatty acids and trials of benefits and effects of omega-3 fatty acids supplements on pregnant or postpartum women with depression were specifically selected.
Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency, due to inadequate intake, fast depletion during pregnancy and lactation, is one of the risk factors of PPD. Associations between neuroinflammation (elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines) and aberrant neurotransmission (low serotonergic transmission activity) and risk of PPD have also been reported by numerous studies. Supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-rich oil can effectively reduce depression during pregnancy and PPD after childbirth. Long term treatment with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich oil can be effective in reducing the risk of PPD in healthy women, but not in lactating women. Supplementation of DHA-rich oil to women begun at pregnancy and continued after childbirth exerts no beneficial effect on depression.
Dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids rich in EPA during pregnancy or postpartum reduces some symptoms associated with depression. DHA supplementation to healthy pregnant women can also reduce the risk of PPD.
女性在生育期易患抑郁症，而分娩会使部分女性产后抑郁（PPD）。本综述重点比较了ω-3 多不饱和脂肪酸补充剂对孕期抑郁或产后 PPD 的疗效。
通过 2017 年 7 月的 MEDLINE、PubMed、PsycINFO 和 Cochrane 协作试验注册中心等数据库检索膳食摄入、血浆和/或乳汁中ω-3 脂肪酸水平以及ω-3 脂肪酸补充剂对抑郁孕妇或产后妇女的益处和影响的研究。
ω-3 脂肪酸缺乏（由于摄入不足、孕期和哺乳期消耗迅速）是 PPD 的一个风险因素。大量研究还报道了神经炎症（促炎细胞因子升高）和神经传递异常（血清素传递活性降低）与 PPD 风险之间的关联。补充富含二十碳五烯酸（EPA）的油可有效减轻孕期抑郁和产后 PPD。长期补充富含二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）的油可降低健康女性 PPD 的风险，但对哺乳期女性无效。从孕期开始并在产后继续补充富含 DHA 的油对抑郁无有益作用。
孕期或产后补充富含 EPA 的 ω-3 脂肪酸可减轻与抑郁相关的一些症状。健康孕妇补充 DHA 也可降低 PPD 的风险。
