Objective: To investigate the effect of ω-3 fatty acids on amniotic fluid volume and uterine artery blood flow after 4 weeks of treatment.
Study design: A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 140 participants with unexplained oligohydramnios at Woman's Health Hospital, Assiut University, Egypt. Participants were randomly assigned to ω-3 plus capsules or placebo. Categorical variables were analyzed by means of the χ2 test, whereas continuous variables were analyzed by means of the independent-sample T-test between the two groups.
Results: One hundred and forty women were recruited. There was significant improvement in the amniotic fluid index (AFI) in the ω-3 plus group in comparison with the placebo group (P=0.001). Moreover, there were significant decreases in the systolic/diastolic ratio (P=0.01), resistance index (P=0.041) and pulsatility index (P=0.002) of the uterine arteries in the ω-3 plus group when comparing baseline values with those after 4 weeks.
Conclusion: The results suggest that ω-3 fatty acids may have a role in the increase in AFI in cases of unexplained oligohydramnios. This effect may be secondary to the increase in uterine blood flow.