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Eating fish oil during pregnancy can help the brain development of the fetus. But that does not mean the mother will give birth to a child that intelligent automatic. Fish oil supplements only supplementary nutrition is not a trigger intelligence.
A new study by the University of Granada in Spain show that fish oil supplements do not lead to differences in the size of the intellect while children aged 6 years.
The results of this latest study supports previous research in Norway who also found no differences in IQ (Intelligence Quotient) among children aged 7 years whose mothers during pregnancy and breast-feeding fish oil supplements compared with women who did not consume fish oil.
Fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish and other foods has been considered important for the developing fetus.
The question is, whether by adding a supplement containing these fatty acids in the diet of pregnant and lactating women will be more beneficial for babies?
To prove the researchers asked pregnant women during the second half of pregnancy to take pills that contain fish oil, fish oil supplements with folate, folic acid alone or pills that do not
contain any supplements.
In seven years later, the research team led by Dr. Cristina Campoy at the University of Granada in Spain, gave intelligence tests to 154 children from the group.
The results showed that, the children of equal intelligence, regardless of the type of pills consumed by the mother during pregnancy. The results of these studies have been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Nevertheless, it does not mean that fatty acids like DHA are not important. In fact, the researchers found that children of women who had high levels of DHA in red blood cells, an average have high intelligence on intelligence tests at the age of 6 years.
"In any case the mother is not too need to be given fish oil supplements. Maybe the child's intelligence can reflect DHA intake mother not only from supplements alone, but from a variety of sources over long periods of time. It may also mean that long term fatty acid intake is more beneficial than with mothers who received DHA supplementation during pregnancy, "the researchers said.
A recent study in Australia also found that DHA supplements did not help the visual development in infants.
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 the child's intelligence.
"However if anyone consulted me if need DHA supplements or not, I still would recommend supplements. But still emphasize that the scientific evidence regarding these supplements is still unclear," said Dr. Ingrid as reported from Epharmapedia,
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