................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .........................................................................................6 CHAPTER 3: METHODS .............................................................................................................60 CHAPTER 4: EFFECTS OF MATERNAL DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID INTAKE DURING PREGNANCY AND LACTATION ON INFANT GROWTH AND NEUROCOGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL .................................................68 CHAPTER 5: MATERNAL DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID INTAKE DURING PREGNANCY AND LACTATION AND GENETIC VARIANTS OF THE FADS1 FADS2 GENE CLUSTER ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ALTERED FATTY ACIDS IN ERYTHROCYTES AND BREASTMILK AND INTERACT WITH INFANT NEUROCOGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................................................... 100 CHAPTER 6: DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................143 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................131 APPENDICIES ............................................................................................................................164