Fish oil for tiny babies: could DHA boost brain growth in preterm infants?
NCT ID NCT06207071
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether giving DHA (a type of omega-3 fat) early to very preterm infants who are small at birth can improve head growth without causing too much fat gain. The trial will include 152 infants and measure head size and body fat at 36 weeks adjusted age. If successful, it could lead to better nutrition strategies for these vulnerable babies.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) dietary supplement
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple nutritional strategy to improve head growth in vulnerable preterm infants.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial (152 infants) testing a dietary supplement, so results may not be conclusive or widely applicable. The primary focus is on head growth, not long-term development.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 152 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
May 2024
- Expected to finish
-
Apr 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
24 to 72 hours
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Gestational ages between 22 0/7 - 32 6/7 weeks gestation * \< 25th centile birthweight Exclusion Criteria: * Major congenital/chromosomal anomalies * Terminal illness in which decisions to withhold or limit support have been made
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Infant malnutrition are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
RECRUITINGBirmingham, Alabama, 35233, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a bacterial extract shield preterm babies from lung infections?
- Parents take the syringe: a new way to feed premature babies
- Stool test may flag deadly gut disease in premature babies
- A Mother's words on a milk bag: a simple act that may deepen the bond with a premature baby
- Can early feeding shape a premature Baby's brain and body?
- Could a daily vitamin pill fortify breast milk for the tiniest babies?