Pregnant women eating fish bear children with healthy brain function--study

Researchers from London Metropolitan University, England and National Institutes of Health, U.S., suggested expectant mothers to eat more fish in order to bear children with healthy brain and enhanced Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

The Daily Telegraph quoted Professor Jack Winkler, Director, Nutrition Policy Unit, London Metropolitan University as saying, “There has been research which indicates that women who have eaten more fish than those recommendations suffer no harm but their child’s brain performance improved.”

11,875 pregnant women studied
Researchers conducted the study on 11,875 pregnant women in Bristol, England.

Subjects were asked to fill a questionnaire regarding seafood consumption at 32-week gestation period.

To determine their eating habits, researchers first sent questionnaires to the subjects four times during their pregnancy and continued up to eight years post childbirth.

Under the study, researchers evaluated matters like children’s social and communication skills, their hand-eye coordination along with their IQ levels.

Study results
Researchers found that, women who ate less than 340 grams of seafood a week, (equal to two and a half portions), had children with increased risk of having low verbal intelligence.

Study leader, Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, National Institutes of Health explained that mercury, found in small concentrations in seafood can amass in the body and high amounts can pose damage to the human nervous system, particularly in developing fetuses.

Conversely, fish is a major source of omega-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid) essential for brain development.

They further stated that docosahexaenoic acid deficiency may increase the risk of behavioural disorders in children.

According to experts, the current Government advice on fish-intake is inadequate to provide essential nutrients to women and their children.

The Telegraph quoted Winkler as saying, “The Food Standards Agency issued advice to women and pregnant women about fish in 2004 which was ultra conservative.”

“The evidence is beginning to show that this ultra conservative advice is effectively denying women the benefits of fish. Worryingly the current advice is scaring women off eating fish completely as the message it gives is that fish is risky,” added Winkler.

Hence, the study stressed on the fact that loss of nutrients posed greater health risks than harm from contaminants in fish.

Researchers cautioned that because the study was based on self-reporting, results might not be definitive.

The study appears in the journal 'Lancet.'