Omega-3 Intake
During Last Months Of Pregnancy
Boosts An Infant's Cognitive And Motor
Development
A study supervised by Laval University researchers
Gina Muckle
and
Éric Dewailly reveals that
omega-3 intake during the last months of pregnancy boosts an infant's
sensory, cognitive, and motor development.
The
details of this
finding are published in a recent edition of the
Journal of Pediatrics.
To come to this conclusion, researchers
first measured
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentration--a type
of omega-3 fatty acid involved in the
development of neurons and retinas--in the
umbilical cord blood of 109 infants. "DHA
concentration in the umbilical cord is a good
indicator of intra-uterine exposure to omega-3s
during the last trimester of pregnancy, a
crucial period for the development of retinal
photoreceptors and neurons," explains Dr.
Dewailly.
Tests conducted on these infants at 6 and 11
months revealed that their visual acuity as well
as their cognitive and motor development were
closely linked to DHA concentration in the
umbilical cord blood at the time of their birth.
However, there was very little relation between
test results and DHA concentration in a mother's
milk among infants who were breast-fed. "These
results highlight the crucial importance of
prenatal exposure to omega-3s in a child's
development,"
points out Dr. Muckle.
Researchers observed that DHA concentration in
the umbilical cord blood was in direct relation
with the concentration found in a mother's
blood, a reminder of the importance of a
mother's diet in providing omega-3 fatty acids
for the fetus. They also noted that DHA
concentration was higher in the fetus's blood
than in the mother's. "While developing
its nervous system, a fetus needs great
quantities of DHA.
It can even transform other types of omega-3s
into DHA in order to develop its brain,"
explains Dr. Dewailly.
For the members of the research team, there is
no doubt that all pregnant women should be
encouraged to get sufficient amounts of
omega-3s. "A diet rich in omega-3s during
pregnancy can't be expected to solve everything,
but our results show that such a diet has
positive effects on a child's sensory,
cognitive, and motor development.
Benefits from eating fish with low contaminant
levels and high omega-3 contents, such as trout,
salmon, and sardines, far outweigh potential
risks even during pregnancy," conclude the
researchers.
|
