Typical North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids-May pose a risk to infant development

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Public release date: 7-Mar-2008

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-03/cfr-tna030708.php

Contact: Kohm

jkohm@...

Child & Family Research Institute

Typical North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids

May pose a risk to infant development

(Vancouver – Friday, March 7, 2008) – New research from the Child &

Family Research Institute shows the typical North American diet of

eating lots of meat and not much fish is deficient in omega-3 fatty

acids and this may pose a risk to infant neurological development.

Omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated fats found in some fish such as

salmon and herring and in smaller amounts in eggs and chicken. This

discovery is an important step towards developing dietary fat guidelines

for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Current dietary recommendations

evolved from the 1950’s emphasis on reducing saturated fat intake to

lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The study is published March 7th, 2008 in the American Journal of

Clinical Nutrition.

“Omega 3 fatty acids are important for the baby’s developing eyes and

brain,” says Dr. Sheila Innis, the study’s principal investigator, head

of the nutrition and metabolism program at the Child & Family Research

Institute at BC Children’s Hospital, and professor, department of

pediatrics, University of British Columbia.

“During pregnancy and breastfeeding, fat consumed by the mum is

transferred to the developing baby and breastfed infant, and this fat is

important for the baby’s developing organs. Our next task is to find out

why the typical North American diet puts mothers at risk. Then we can

develop dietary recommendations to help women consume a nutritious diet

that promotes optimal health for mums and babies.”

The researchers found that the women who ate lots of meat and little

fish were deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and their babies didn’t do

as well on eye tests as babies from mothers who weren’t deficient. The

results were noticeable as early as two months of age. The study is

ongoing as the researchers intend to follow the children’s development

until four years of age.

For the study, the researchers recruited 135 pregnant women and randomly

assigned them to either a group that took an omega-3 fatty acid

supplement or one that took a placebo. All the women continued eating

their regular diets. The supplement added the equivalent of two fatty

fish meals per week, an amount that the researchers estimated would

prevent deficiency. The researchers tested the women’s blood samples at

16 and 36 weeks of pregnancy and measured the amount of DHA

(docasohexaenoic acid), a type of omega-3 fatty acids that’s known to be

important for brain and eye function.

After the babies were born, the researchers did vision tests to evaluate

the infants’ ability to distinguish lines of different widths. It’s an

innovative way of evaluating neurological maturity in babies who are

unable to talk. Since the eyes are connected to the brain, they reflect

the brain’s development.

The aim of this study was to contribute to a growing body of knowledge

that focuses on the dietary needs of pregnant and breastfeeding women.

More research is needed to identify recommended daily amounts of omega 3

fatty acids.

“For better health, it’s important for pregnant and nursing mums – and

all of us – to eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains,

nuts, eggs, and fish while minimizing consumption of processed and

prepared foods,” says Dr. Innis.

###

The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Martek Biosciences Corp. provided the supplements.

--

ne Holden, MS, RD

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