Birth before 34 weeks of gestation is defined as early preterm birth, a leading cause of mortality in children under five. Although several meta-analyses have found docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to be beneficial in preventing early preterm birth (EPB), no study has identified its optimum dose. Scientists from the USA have now found the optimum dose of DHA to prevent complications of EPB in pregnant women. A total of 1100 participants were enrolled in the study, among which 576 participants received 1000 mg DHA dose, while the other 524 participants received 200 mg DHA dose.
The participants were above the age of 18 and in the gestation period of 12 to 20 weeks. The Bayesian adaptive design was used to periodically generate allocation ratios favoring the better performing dose. Extensive simulations were used to design an effective protocol with a chance of 3% and 1% EPB in low and high…
