When mothers eat three sizeable servings of fish each week during pregnancy, it may benefit children’s brains for years to come, according to a large study in Spain.
Researchers followed nearly 2,000 mother-daughter pairs from the first trimester of pregnancy to their child's fifth birthday and found improved brain function in children whose mothers ate the most fish while pregnant, compared with children of mothers who ate the least.
Even when women ate an average of 600 grams, or 21 ounces, of fish each week during pregnancy, there was no sign that mercury or other pollutants associated with fish had any negative effects that offset any real benefits.
"Seafood is known to be an important source of essential nutrients for brain development, but at the same time accumulates mercury from the environment, which is known to be neurotoxic," lead author Jordi Julvez, of the Research Center in 10 Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona, said in an email.
In an attempt to balance the potential harm of these pollutants with the general health benefits of fish, the US Food and Drug Administration's 2014 guidelines encourage pregnant women to eat fish, but no more than 12 ounces per week.
The European Food Safety Authority recently issued a scientific opinion endorsing of 150 to 600 g of fish weekly during pregnancy, Julvez and colleagues note in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
However, the research team writes, the effects of maternal consumption of 15 fish during development are still not well understood and further research could help provide clearer guidance to pregnant women.
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The researchers analyzed data from the Spanish Childhood and Environment Project, a large population study that recruited women in the first trimester of their pregnancy, in four Spanish provinces, between 2004 and 2008.
On average, the women had consumed 500 g, or three servings, of seafood per week while pregnant. But with every additional 10 g per week above that amount, children’s test scores improved.
The link between higher maternal consumption and better brain development in children was especially apparent when kids were five.
(Adapted from www.yahoo.com/beauty/eatinglotsoffishduringpregnancy)
| Penulis | : | Jestica Anna |
| Editor | : | Rahwiku Mahanani |
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