A study by Dr Joseph Hibbeln from the National Institutes of Health in America, reported in The Economist last week, used data from Bristol University's Avon Longitudinal Study which holds information on 14,000 expectant mothers and their offspring.
Dr Hibbeln found that, at three-and-a-half years of age, the children of women who consumed the smallest amounts of omega-3 during pregnancy had a verbal IQ six points lower than average. Children born to mothers with the highest omega-3 intake achieved a higher IQ score and had the best fine-motor skills, including the ability to manipulate small objects and hand-eye co-ordination.
Dr Madeleine Portwood, educational psychologist and omega-3 expert, said, 'A child's brain develops in the third trimester of pregnancy. DHA, a metabolised omega-3 fatty acid, is crucial in this, so if pregnant women have an enriched diet, a baby's brain cells will become well structured.'
* See the feature on page 12
