Table 2

Postrandomisation treatment group comparison of demographic, social and clinical characteristics

High-DHA diet (n=291)Standard-DHA diet (n=313)p Value
Social variables
 Mean, SD corrected age at primary outcome assessment, years (n=284/293)7.2 (0.4)7.2 (0.3)0.69
 Death between 18 months and 7 years’ corrected age (n=313/326*)0 (0.0)2 (0.6)0.50†
 Family unblinded before the 7-year corrected age assessment6 (2.1)6 (1.9)>0.99
 English primary language spoken at home (n=285/298)278 (97.5)296 (99.3)0.10
 Living in two parent family‡ (n=285/298)214 (75.1)237 (79.5)0.23†
 Mean (SD) Recent Life Events, total events (n=278/290)2.5 (2.5)2.2 (2.4)0.20
 Mean (SD) Recent Life Events, total events still impacting (n=278/290)0.5 (1.2)0.4 (1.0)0.47
 Mean (SD) Family Assessment Device general functioning score (n=278/289)1.6 (0.4)1.5 (0.4)0.24
Dietary variables
 Had fish in the last month (n=285/298)248 (87.0)267 (89.6)0.39
 Mean (SD) number of fish meals in the last month (n=246/266)5.0 (3.8)5.1 (3.6)0.96
 Had DHA-enriched foods in the last month (n=285/298)172 (60.4)181 (60.7)0.93
 Mean (SD) number of DHA-enriched foods in the last month (n=164/173)21.2 (26.4)16.8 (18.2)0.16
 Had a supplement containing DHA in the last month (n=283/293)73 (25.8)57 (19.5)0.10
  • Values are numbers (percentage) of infants unless stated otherwise.

  • *Denominator based on randomised infants still alive at the completion of DINO.

  • †Fisher exact p Value.

  • ‡Families with biological parents living together and new marriage/de facto relationship.

  • DHA, docosahexaenoic acid; DINO, DHA for the Improvement of Neurodevelopmental Outcome in preterm infants trial.