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Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation (DHA) and the return on investment for pregnancy outcomes123
The Kansas University DHA Outcomes Study (KUDOS) found a significant reduction in early preterm births with a supplement of 600 mg DHA per day compared to placebo. The objective of this analysis was to determine if hospital costs differed between groups. We applied a post-hoc cost analysis of the de...
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Published in: | Prostaglandins, leukotrienes and essential fatty acids leukotrienes and essential fatty acids, 2016-05, Vol.111, p.8-10 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | The Kansas University DHA Outcomes Study (KUDOS) found a significant reduction in early preterm births with a supplement of 600 mg DHA per day compared to placebo. The objective of this analysis was to determine if hospital costs differed between groups. We applied a post-hoc cost analysis of the delivery hospitalization and all hospitalizations in the following year to 197 mother-infant dyads who delivered at Kansas University Hospital. Hospital cost saving of DHA supplementation amounted to $1678 per infant. Even after adjusting for the estimated cost of providing 600 mg/d DHA for 26 weeks ($166.48) and a slightly higher maternal care cost ($26) in the DHA group, the net saving per dyad was $1484. Extrapolating this to the nearly 4 million US deliveries per year suggests universal supplementation with 600 mg/d during the last 2 trimesters of pregnancy could save the US health care system up to USD 6 billion. |
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ISSN: | 0952-3278 1532-2823 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.plefa.2016.05.008 |