Omega-3s good for your unborn baby

Omega-3s help baby development

A new study has show that eating omega-3 DHA in pregnancy enhances infant development. The study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, reveals DHA consumed during the last months of pregnancy boosts your unborn baby’s sensory, cognitive, and motor development.

The research team reached its conclusion by measuring the amount of DHA concentration in the umbilical cord blood of 109 newborn babies. 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 brain development, according to study supervisor Dr Eric Dewailly.

After testing the babies at 6 and 11 months, the researchers discovered visual acuity, cognitive development, and motor development were closely linked to DHA concentration in the umbilical cord blood at the time of their birth.

“For years researchers and nutritional experts have studied the importance of DHA in a pregnant woman's diet and the resulting impact these essential nutrients have on the development of her fetus,” says Dr Barbara Levine, director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Weill Cornell Medical College. “In addition to folic acid, which helps prevent the development of spinal bifida and other birth defects, it is necessary for expectant mothers to include DHA in their diets for brain and eye development.”

Foods rich in omega-3s include salmon, halibut and cod but if you’re not a fan of fish you can also find it in flaxseeds and walnuts. More and more foods are also being fortified with omega-3s, including eggs.

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