Maternal Deficiency of 12-HETE Fatty Acid Linked to 62 Percent Higher Risk of Childhood Asthma

New research finds a 62 percent higher asthma risk in children when mothers lack a specific fatty acid during pregnancy, potentially guiding future prenatal care.

By: AXL Media

Published: May 2, 2026, 7:20 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from EurekAlert

The Identification of a Prenatal Respiratory Biomarker

A decade long investigation by the University of Copenhagen and the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood has uncovered a significant link between maternal blood chemistry and pediatric lung health. Clinical Professor Bo Chawes noted that the absence of a specific fatty acid molecule, known as 12-HETE, in pregnant women serves as a strong statistical predictor for the development of asthmatic bronchitis in their children. Data indicates that when this molecule is undetectable during pregnancy, the incidence of childhood asthma during the first ten years of life surges by 62 percent compared to children whose mothers possessed measurable levels.

The Biological Foundation of Early Immune Maturation

The research suggests that 12-HETE plays a functional role in the early development of a child's internal defenses while still in the womb. According to Chawes, infants as young as one month old exhibit distinct bacterial compositions and immune responses in their airways if their mothers lacked the fatty acid during gestation. This biological environment appears to create a vulnerability, leading to an altered lung microbiome that cannot sufficiently ward off threats. Consequently, these children are not only more prone to chronic asthma but also suffer from a higher frequency of acute respiratory infections during their formative years.

A Nuanced Understanding of Fish Oil Supplementation

The study provides a critical re-evaluation of how prenatal omega-3 supplements, commonly derived from fish oil, impact different populations. Through a randomized trial, the team discovered that the protective benefits of omega-3 are not universal but are instead dependent on the mother's existing 12-HETE levels. In women where the fatty acid was present, the administration of fish oil reduced early childhood asthma occurrences by 58 percent. Conversely, for mothers without measurable 12-HETE, the supplements showed no statistically significant difference in outcomes compared to a placebo, suggesting a specific biological prerequisite for the treatment to be effective.