Fish oil supplements during pregnancy leads to smart babies

Earlier pregnant women were advised against consuming fish oil during pregnancy as it was assumed that the presence of mercury and other harmful toxins present in fish oil might harm the unborn baby. But now research has confirmed the benefits of fish oil supplements during pregnancy. In a latest study conducted at the University of Western Australia, the babies delivered from women who were given approx.4g of fish oil supplements regularly from 20 weeks of pregnancy to the birth of their babies, show significantly higher in hand-eye coordination and better mental stability when they reach the age of two and a half. The research indicated that supplementation with a moderately high-dose fish oil during the last 20 weeks of pregnancy is not only safe but also seems to have potential beneficial effects.

As per another research, expectant mothers from families with high risk of allergy and asthma who were given a fish oil supplement from the 25th week of pregnancy until the third month of breastfeeding, shows considerable improvement in the child’s immune system and they have fewer allergic reactions.

The fish oil supplements are beneficial both for mothers and their unborn babies. Some benefits are described as follows:

• Lowers premature birth risks
• Regular fish oil intake increases the blood flow to uterus and thus promotes an environment more conducive to pregnancy
• Fish oils boost immune system of the newly born babies in fighting off infections
• Lowers risk for the new born babies to be infected by allergies
• Improves the speech, hearing, visual acuity and other metabolic development of the infants
• The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil supplements shields the infants from a number of diseases such as heart disease and some forms of cancer.