Fish oil in pregnancy for a healthy start to life for the children of overweight mothers

INTERVENTION: 3 grams of n‐3 PUFA rich fish oil taken in capsules on each day of pregnancy and for 3 months during the breastfeeding period. Note that if the mother chooses to stop breastfeeding then supplementation will stop early, this will be at birth if the mother decides not to breastfeed at all. Compliance will be assessed by return of unused capsules, and secondarily by measurement of n‐3 PUFA levels in maternal red blood cells. Note that the expected concentration of n‐3 PUFAs in this oil is 33% EPA/22% DHA, but this will be independently verified. CONDITION: Childhood obesity Maternal obesity Metabolic dysfunction in childhood PRIMARY OUTCOME: Whole body percentage body fat, as measured by dual x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan (in the offspring) SECONDARY OUTCOME: Birth weight HOMA‐IR (in the mother) HOMA‐IR (in the offspring) Insulin sensitivity as determined by a modified IVGTT with minimal modelling (offspring) Peripheral quantitative computed tomography derived measures of bone strength from the lower Tibia (in the offspring) Ponderal Index (in the offspring) Weight in the offspring Whole body percentage body fat, measured by DXA scan (in the offspring) INCLUSION CRITERIA: Pregnant women, with BMI 30‐45, singleton pregnancy, between 12‐16 weeks of gestation