Lemon-flavored cod liver oil and a multivitamin-mineral supplement for the secondary prevention of otitis media in young children: pilot research.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Cod Liver Oil, published as a clinical trial.

The researchers measured blood levels of fatty acids, vitamin A, and trace metals in children undergoing ambulatory surgery for placement of tympanostomy tubes and a comparison group having other ambulatory surgical procedures.

The study subjects had lower levels of red blood cell eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) than did adult controls.

Who Took Part

The study group was 8 children.

The age groups tagged for this paper are infants and young children, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a pilot study.

It is described as a pilot, a small early test of whether a larger Cod Liver Oil study would be practical.

What Was Measured

The researchers measured blood levels of fatty acids, vitamin A, and trace metals in children undergoing ambulatory surgery for placement of tympanostomy tubes and a comparison group having other ambulatory surgical procedures.

The study subjects had lower levels of red blood cell eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) than did adult controls.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Acute Disease, Citrus, Cod Liver Oil, Dietary Supplements, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Erythrocytes and Flavoring Agents.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a pilot study of Cod Liver Oil in 8 children.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2002 (The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology), a journal based in United States.

More context: all human trials.