Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Fish Oil

In recent studies on the effect of fish oil to help reduce complications of pregnancy, it was found that:
Fish oil supplementation reduced the recurrence risk of pre-term delivery, but had no effect on pre-term delivery in twin pregnancies. Fish oil had no effect on intrauterine growth retardation and pregnancy induced hypertension, affecting neither recurrence risk nor risk in twin pregnancies. (British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology March 2000, VO1~0 7, pp. 382-395)
Fish oil provides important omega 3 fatty acids which have been shown to have many health benefits. Eating fish is a good way to get this but if you don't like fish or choose not to eat it due to concern about the risk of contamination in some varieties, the supplement is a good option. BellaOnline reports:

The DHA and EPA found in omega 3 fish plays such a vital role in a pregnant woman's health and her baby's development that many scientists recommend at least 900 mg of fish oil a day during pregnancy. That's equivalent to a daily serving of salmon.

The benefits for baby are:
  • A better brain with higher intelligence

  • Good nervous system development

  • Better eyesight from retina formation

  • Fewer behavioral problems after birth

  • Better sleep patterns for a newborn
Health benefits for mom include:
  • Less chance of developing pre-eclampsia

  • Protection against brain loss during pregnancy

  • Less chance of pre-term labor and cesarean

  • Much lower risk of postpartum depression

  • Greatly reduced incidence of breast cancer
DHA and EPA make up about 70% of a newborn baby’s brain, retina and nervous system. The only way a fetus can get these important omega 3 fatty acids is from mom. And the amount is dependent on how much she's getting in her pregnancy diet.
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