Do not Expect Oil Fish for Feeding Children Intelligence

Eating oily fish during pregnancy may help the development of the fetal brain. But that does not mean the mother will give birth to children who automatically intelligent. Fish oil supplements not only complementary nutritional intelligence trigger.

A new study conducted the University of Granada in Spain suggests that fish oil supplements do not cause differences in the size of the intellect when the children were aged 6 years.

The results of this latest study supports previous research in Norway who also found no difference in IQ (Intelligence Quotient) among children aged 7 years whose mothers during pregnancy and lactation taking fish oil supplements compared with mothers who did not consume fish oil.
Fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish and other food had been considered important for the developing fetus.

The question is, whether by adding a supplement containing these fatty acids in the diets of pregnant and lactating mothers will be able to further benefit the baby?

To prove the researchers asked mothers during the second half of pregnancy to take pills that contain fish oil, fish oil supplementation with folate, folic acid alone or pills that do not contain any supplements.

At 7 years later, the research team led by Dr. Cristina Campoy from the University of Granada in Spain, giving intelligence tests to 154 children from the group.

The results of these studies indicate that these children have the same intelligence, regardless of the type of pill is consumed by the mother during pregnancy. The results of these studies have been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

However, it does not mean that fatty acids such as DHA are not important. In fact, the researchers found that children of women who had high levels of DHA in red blood cells, on average have a high intelligence on intelligence tests at age 6 years.

"After all the mothers did not really necessary given fish oil supplements. Perhaps the child's intelligence may reflect maternal intake of DHA is not only from supplements alone, but from various sources over long periods of time. It may also mean that the long-term intake of fatty acids is more beneficial than whose mothers received DHA supplementation alone during pregnancy, "the researchers said.

A new Australian study also found that DHA supplementation did not help the baby's visual development.

According to Dr. Ingrid Helland of Oslo University Hospital, who led the earlier Norwegian study there are other factors such as genetics, social stimulation, nutrition, and others in shaping children's intelligence.

"However, if there is a consultation with me, whether it should take DHA supplements or not, I still would recommend a supplement. But still stressed that the scientific evidence about supplements is still unclear," said Dr.. Ingrid as reported from Epharmapedia, Sunday (30/10/2011).