Maternal seafood consumption linked to improved developmental outcome

Seafood is the principal dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids. Based on food frequency questionnaires, completed by 11,875 pregnant women, researchers found that those women consuming less than 340g of seafood a week risked having children with suboptimal verbal Iqs. Poorer outcomes were also observed for prosocial behaviour, fine motor, communication, and social development scores compared to the children of women consuming more than 340g of seafood weekly; for each outcome measure, the lower the intake of seafood during pregnancy, the higher the risk of suboptimum developmental outcome.  The study is very robust, comprehensively accounting for confounding factors including social and other dietary influences on development. The authors, writing in the Lancet, conclude that “these results show that risks from the loss of nutrients were greater than the risks of harm from exposure to trace contaminants in 340 g seafood eaten weekly”.

 

Click here to read the study.

 

Maternal consumption of DHA may improve infant problem-solving abilities

There are few studies investigating the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy on infant cognitive function. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial, pregnant women consumed a DHA-containing functional food, providing approximately 1,500mg of DHA each week, or a placebo, from gestation week 24 until delivery. The Infant Planning Test and Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence were administered to infants at the age of 9 months.  The infants of those mothers who received the active treatment performed significantly better on problem-solving skills. Although there were no significant differences in any measure of the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence this is an exciting study, highlighting the importance of maternal nutrition.

 

Click here to read the study.

 

High intake of omega-3 may be associated with a reduced prevalence of allergic rhinitis (hayfever)

1002 pregnant Japanese women completed a diet history questionnaire. Increased intake of DHA/EPA was associated with a reduced prevalence of hayfever among offspring; no association was found between consumption of meat, eggs, dairy, total fat or saturated fat and the prevalence of hayfever, although there was a trend for an increased incidence among those with a high intake of omega-6 fatty acids. This study is interesting, the methodology was robust, confounding factors were accounted for and the questionnaires were validated.    

Click here to read the study abstract.

Maternal seafood consumption linked to improved developmental outcome

Seafood is the principal dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids. Based on food frequency questionnaires, completed by 11,875 pregnant women, researchers found that those women consuming less than 340g of seafood a week risked having children with suboptimal verbal Iqs. Poorer outcomes were also observed for prosocial behaviour, fine motor, communication, and social development scores compared to the children of women consuming more than 340g of seafood weekly; for each outcome measure, the lower the intake of seafood during pregnancy, the higher the risk of suboptimum developmental outcome.  The study is very robust, comprehensively accounting for confounding factors including social and other dietary influences on development. The authors, writing in the Lancet, conclude that “these results show that risks from the loss of nutrients were greater than the risks of harm from exposure to trace contaminants in 340 g seafood eaten weekly”.

 

Click here to read the study.

 

Maternal consumption of DHA may improve infant problem-solving abilities

There are few studies investigating the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy on infant cognitive function. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial, pregnant women consumed a DHA-containing functional food, providing approximately 1,500mg of DHA each week, or a placebo, from gestation week 24 until delivery. The Infant Planning Test and Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence were administered to infants at the age of 9 months.  The infants of those mothers who received the active treatment performed significantly better on problem-solving skills. Although there were no significant differences in any measure of the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence this is an exciting study, highlighting the importance of maternal nutrition.

 

Click here to read the study.

 

High intake of omega-3 may be associated with a reduced prevalence of allergic rhinitis (hayfever)

1002 pregnant Japanese women completed a diet history questionnaire. Increased intake of DHA/EPA was associated with a reduced prevalence of hayfever among offspring; no association was found between consumption of meat, eggs, dairy, total fat or saturated fat and the prevalence of hayfever, although there was a trend for an increased incidence among those with a high intake of omega-6 fatty acids. This study is interesting, the methodology was robust, confounding factors were accounted for and the questionnaires were validated.    

Click here to read the study abstract.