Seafood in pregnancy (2007)

This study investigated seafood in pregnancy. For a number of years pregnant women or those planning pregnancy have been warned by numerous government agencies and medical associations to keep seafood intake to a minimum to avoid mercury, which can affect brain development and is found in many species of fish and other sea animals.
However, the benefits of omega 3 may outweigh the risks in pregnancy. A survey of 11,875 pregnant women found that those who ate less than 340 grams (3 servings) of seafood per week in pregnancy had more adverse outcomes. Beneficial effects on child development were recorded in those pregnancies where the mother’s seafood intake was greater than 340 g per week, suggesting that a review on current recommendations for seafood consumption could be warranted.

JR Hibbeln et al., ‘Maternal seafood consumption in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood (ALSPAC study): an observational cohort study’,  The Lancet, 369:578-585, 2007

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Omega-3 & Pregnancy (2008)

This study explored omega 3 & pregnancy. Canadian researchers found that higher levels of the omega-3 DHA in the umbilical cord at birth was associated with better vision at 6 months of age and better performance in mental and coordination tests at 11 months in a study of 109 babies. Higher levels of DHA were also associated with a lower rate of pre-term delivery. The same benefits to the baby were not seen from DHA in breast milk, leading the researchers to assert that DHA is particularly important in the 3rd trimester as the brain goes through a ‘growth spurt’. DHA is found in oily fish and seed oils.

J L Jacobson et al. ‘Beneficial effects of a polyunsaturated fatty acid on infant development: evidence from the inuit of arctic Quebec.’ J Pediatr. 2008 Mar;152(3):356-64

Click here for the abstract

Further info