Health experts estimate that up to 85% of women have a diet that is deficient in dietary in omega 3 fatty acids. What is worse is that only 2 % of pregnant women have diets sufficient in omega 3 to meet the demands of pregnancy for both fetus and mother.
Omega 3 fatty acids, highly prevalent in fish oil are essential in promoting the health of both mother and developing baby during pregnancy. Though many use flax seed oil as a supplement of fatty acids it does not contain a good supply of all necessary omega 3 fatty acids. Fish oil is rich in both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which are necessary for proper growth of the fetus and health of the mother during pregnancy.
EPA has been shown in clinical research studies to benefit the expectant mother both during pregnancy and in the post-partum period after birth. Many women complain of a period of absentmindedness during pregnancy. Laughingly this condition can be called “pregnant brain” but studies show that cognitive function is actually decreased during pregnancy. Supplementation with EPA contained in fish oil can help to alleviate pregnancy related forgetfulness. EPA has also been proven to be effective in reducing the occurrence of pregnancy related depression and particularly post-partum depression which affects at least 10% of women after giving birth.
Fish oil has also been shown to increase the number of gestational days which leads to a reduced risk of pre-term labor, c-section and problems related to premature and low weight infants. Adequate consumption of omega 3 is also critical for normal neuronal and visual development of the fetus and benefits have been shown to reach well into childhood
Studies at the University of British Columbia have shown that at 60 days old, an infant born to a mother who took omega 3 supplements will have increased visual acuity. A study conducted at Louisiana State University concluded that infants whose mother supplementing with fish oil will have greater infant problem solving ability at 9 months.
Researchers in Australia have proven in two separate studies that children aged 2.5 years who had been born to mothers with diets high in omega 3 and EPA demonstrated increased hand to eye development, and at 4 years showed a higher IQ.
