RESEARCH AND MARKET EXPRESS

Omega-3 fatty acids taken by pregnant women have positive impact on child's development

Peter Ou, Ph.D. A new study by U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) researcher Joseph Hibbeln has found that omega-3 fatty acids taken by pregnant women have a discernible positive effect on the mental and social development of their children.

The study, presented by Hibbeln in London, was featured in The Economist.

Hibbeln analyzed data collected in the 15-year Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The study contains data on 14,000 pregnant women and their children. Three findings highlight the importance of omega-3s in the pregnant diet and the resulting impact on children:

-Children of pregnant women whose diets had included the smallest amounts of omega-3s had verbal IQs six points lower than average.

-At 3.5 years of age, children of pregnant women whose diets had included the highest amounts of omega-3s had the best measurements of fine-motor performance.

-Children of pregnant women whose diets had included the smallest amounts of omega-3s had greater difficulty making friends as they grew older.

Levine is an expert on nutritional interactions between genetics and the prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well as the optimal diet for cognitive function and visual acuity in young children.

PBM Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Animi-3, is currently conducting a clinical trial on Animi-3 for cardiovascular risk reduction and cognition with leading heart disease specialist Ernst J. Schaefer, MD, of Cardiovascular Research Associates, in Boston, Massachusetts. Schaefer is also a professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. This article was prepared by Cardiovascular Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2006, Cardiovascular Week via NewsRx.com.

(Published: http://www.newsrx.com. )


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