02/2025

The Growth-promoting Effect of Omega-3 on Children: a Systematic Literature Review

Introduction

Poor growth and development can have long-term adverse health impacts, including increased birth defects, impaired cognitive function, and low academic achievement. Essential nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), offer various health benefits. However, the impact of omega-3 on children’s growth is under-researched, with studies typically focusing on single domains like cognitive development. This study aims to review the growth-promoting benefits of omega-3 on children across multiple growth domains.

Materials and methods

Following PRISMA guidelines and registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023417580), three databases—PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library—were searched for relevant articles from 2018 to 2022. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for randomized trials (RoB2) was used to assess bias risk, and Mendeley was used to manage and deduplicate articles.

Results

Seven randomized clinical trials (RCTs) from 2018 to 2020 were reviewed. Only one study found a significant positive impact of omega-3 on children’s cognitive development, while five studies did not. One study explored neurodevelopment, and two RCTs from the UK and Spain examined behavioral outcomes. A study from Indonesia assessed physical growth.

Conclusion

Overall, omega-3 fatty acids did not show a significant impact on early childhood development. Omega-3 supplements may enhance behavioral development and physical growth in children but do not significantly affect cognitive or neurodevelopment.

This systematic review incorporates research that uses Nesplora Attention Kids Aula in its development to assess treatment on hyperactivity:

  • Rodríguez C, García T, Areces D, Fernández E, García-Noriega M, Domingo JC. Supplementation with high-content docosahexaenoic acid triglyceride in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomized double-blind placebocontrolled trial. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2019;15:1193-1209. Published 2019 May 8. doi:10.2147/NDT.S206020

 


 

Zulhazman, Nurantasha and Azidi, Mohamad Afiq and Muhd Helmi, Muhd Alwi and Haris @ Harith, Muhammad Salahuddin and Harith, Sakinah and Mohd Rus, Shaiqah (2025) The growth-promoting effect of omega-3 on children: a systematic literature review. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 21 (1). pp. 282-292. ISSN 1675-8544 E-ISSN 2636-9346

Colaboramos con los mejores expertos de más de 20 universidades internacionales