Many Utah moms-to-be go to great lengths to produce smarter children. They play music to their unborn child, read to them and eat a proscribed diet, all in support of superior cognitive development.
Recent research from the University of Granada supports the latter as effective in producing smarter, more social offspring.
As part of the NUTRIMENTHE project – a European study focused on the role diet plays in the mental performance of children – researchers collected blood samples from 2,000 women at 20 gestational weeks and from the umbilical cord at birth. The blood was analyzed for concentrations of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
What researchers found was that moms-to-be who consumed a considerable amount of fish during pregnancy had children who scored higher in verbal intelligence and fine motor skill tests, and demonstrated an increase in pro-social behavior.
Research is growing in support of the essential role omega-3 fatty acids play in both the development of a healthy baby and the health of the mother. Previous research has linked high fish consumption to better IQ scores in eight-year old children, improved visual development and a decreased risk of pregnancy complications.
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Two of the most beneficial omega-3 fatty acid are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Research suggests that EPA contributes to the health of the heart, combats depression and possibly modulates the immune system. DHA is essential to the development of the central nervous system and also plays a role in heart health and a proper inflammatory response.
Your growing and developing baby needs both DHA and EPA to develop properly. So much so, that the fetus will deplete your stores of omega-3s to ensure he or she has enough to properly develop.
The research findings add to the growing body of evidence that sufficient quantities of omega-3 fatty acids is necessary to promote the healthy development of your baby.
The above information was obtained from an article released by the University of Granada, January 31, 2012.
