Grant: Project Grant

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to many problems for the developing baby, resulting in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). FASD damages the fetus by limiting its physical and neurological growth, and may cause facial deformities. These effects lead to life-long physical and developmental problems. Among these issues, brain dysfunction is considered the most serious, particularly as it causes deficits in learning and memory. It is estimated that 4% of North Americans are affected by FASD and 10.7% of Canadian women report some alcohol intake while pregnant. While the current strategy to reduce FASD is counselling pregnant women to abstain from alcohol, the rate of FASD is rising. Despite this, there is no effective measure to prevent FASD, nor is there a standard treatment or cure for these disorders. Proper nutrition during pregnancy has shown to alleviate several underlying issues, specifically the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Many health professional societies promote DHA as a brain super food, and recommend the adequate intake of DHA during pregnancy to support fetal brain development. A DHA deficiency results in impaired brain development by altering the structure of brain cells. Prenatal alcohol exposure is known to decrease the maternal DHA status and reduces the transfer of DHA to the fetus and disturb normal brain function. Thus, it is plausible that maternal DHA supplementation may alleviate the deleterious effects of alcohol on the fetal brain. The overall objective of this study is to determine whether DHA provision during pregnancy or lactation is a simple and effective nutrition strategy to prevent or treat FASD by reducing brain inflammation and preserving memory function. The outcomes of this study may provide scientific evidence for the use of DHA supplementation to enhance the health of mothers who are at risk of having children with FASD and cannot stop drinking during pregnancy.