Oily Fish Diet For Smarter Babies

According to researchers from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, US, an expectant mother who consumes oily fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids can boost her baby's brain power and social skills. The research findings were featured in The Economist.

The NIH team studied 9,000 mothers and children in Avon, UK through the long-running Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. They reported that those women who consumed very little omega-3 fatty acid during their pregnancies had children with IQs that were six points lower than the average. The children were also found to lack poorer motor skills and hand-to-eye coordination.

By the age of 7, 14 percent of those children whose mothers ate the least of oily fish during pregnancy had poor social skills and could not make friends easily, compared with 8 percent of those whose mothers had the highest intake.

They observed that when children reached 3-1/2 years of age, they had the best measures of motor performance if their mothers had the highest intake of oily fish during their pregnancies.

The omega-3 fatty acid is an essential and crucial nutrient for brain and eye development. Fishes containing favorable amounts of omega-3 fatty acids are tuna, salmon, mackerel, trout, swordfish, haddock, herring and sardine. With issues arising from pollutants like mercury and dioxin found in these fishes, it has been recommended that two portions of oily fish be taken weekly.

Other good sources are seeds such as flax, pumpkin and hemp. About two tablespoons of seeds taken daily is needed to achieve the beneficial effect. Otherwise choose a good quality omega-3 supplement.