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Australia; SA
Media release
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SAHMRI’s long-term research into omega-3 fatty acids as a way to prevent preterm birth is set to improve antenatal care across the globe.
The latest phase of the research, published today by the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) and coinciding with World Prematurity Day, shows that the Omega-3 Test-and-Treat Program (O3TTP) that has been embedded in routine care in South Australia is feasible, scalable, and can be broadly implemented
O3TTP Leader Dr Karen Best is presenting these findings today at the annual Australian Clinical Trials Association national symposium in Melbourne. She says O3TTP has already resulted in hundreds of SA mothers being recommended appropriate omega-3 supplementation, which can reduce their chances of giving birth preterm.
“While the test-and-treat program is now part of routine care here in SA, we’ve also seen strong interest in the program from other parts of Australia and even internationally in the US and Europe,” she said.
“Now, with these latest peer-reviewed findings published by the highly reputable MJA, we would expect the world to pay even closer attention to our tried and tested intervention against preterm birth.”
South Australian mum-to-be Amy Christie is 35-weeks pregnant with her first child. She wasn’t aware of the link between omega-3 levels and the chance of preterm birth until a discussion with her midwife early in her pregnancy.
“I consider myself very healthy but was unaware of any risks of being low in omega-3,” Amy said.
“My doctor checked my omega-3 levels as part of my routine pregnancy blood testing. When I received the results, I found out I was low and started supplementing.”
“I am so grateful I took the time to speak to someone and learn about omega-3 in pregnancy,” she said.
Of the thousands of SA women who, like Amy, have opted to have their omega-3 tested, around 17% have been found to have low levels and so could benefit from supplementation.
“That means that already, despite the treat-and-test program only operating here in SA, hundreds of families have improved the chances of their baby arriving on time because of our research,” Dr Best said.
The rate of preterm birth has been somewhat intractable in Australia and globally, with about one in 12 babies arriving early.
Babies born too soon, especially before 34 weeks of gestation, are more likely to have lengthy hospital stays and might have longer term health and developmental problems.
Preterm birth complications are the leading cause of death for children under five years of age globally. Preterm babies are also at greater risk of chronic issues with their respiratory, immune and digestive systems and they’re more susceptible to problems with speech, social skills, learning and behaviour.
The Omega-3 Test-and-Treat Program
The O3TTP is a real-world study run by SAHMRI in partnership with SA Pathology. Its goal is to test if the program could fit into routine antenatal care workflows. SA Pathology added omega-3 blood screening as an option for all pregnant women in SA as part of their standard South Australian Maternal Serum Antenatal Screening (SAMSAS) test before the 20-week gestation mark.
This was the final stage of validating more than a decade’s investigation of how to best employ omega-3 supplementation as an intervention against preterm birth by identifying how to implement the revised Pregnancy Care guidelines which now recommend omega-3 supplementation for women with low imega-3 to prevent preterm birth.
“We continue to work closely with SA Pathology to ensure we can maintain the program here in SA while simultaneously scaling it up nationally,” Dr Best said.
“The test doesn’t require mums to have any extra blood taken. It just needs the mum’s health care provider to tick a box on their SAMSAS form to include omega-3 testing.”
The paper published in the MJA reports on the initial 14-month period of the O3TTP (April 2021 – June 2022), where 4,801 women were tested. The testing continues, and now more than 30,000 women have undergone the screening, with 17% found to be low in omega-3.
“With an accurate measure of a pregnant woman’s omega-3 levels we can recommend targeted omega-3 supplementation to reduce the chances of her baby arriving too soon,” Dr Best said.
“Now that we have demonstrated success in South Australia, our aim is to take this to the rest of Australia so all mums and babies can benefit.”
As well as the crucial partnership with SA Pathology, O3TTP benefited from the backing of a range of other organisations including Health Translation SA, the Thyne Reid Foundation and The Hospital Research Foundation Group (THRFG).
THRFG CEO Prof Paul Flynn says his group’s $500,000 funding for the project was directed towards a public awareness campaign for pregnant women and their families, as well as perinatal health professionals.
“The research team has been working hard to drive real-world change and improve outcomes for babies and their families, and we’re pleased to play a role in helping more women take part in this groundbreaking work,” Prof Flynn said.
“We’re excited to see the team take the next step in expanding this program, so women everywhere can benefit from omega-3 testing and supplementation to prevent preterm birth.”
