A team supervised by Université Laval researchers Gina Muckle and Éric Dewailly conducted tests on a group of infants at 6 and 11 months. Researchers measured docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid included in the development of neurons and retinas, in the umbilical cord blood of 109 infants.
Follow-up showed that the babies' visual acuity and cognitive and motor development were closely linked to DHA concentration in the umbilical cord blood at the time of their birth.
The amount of DHA in the umbilical cord determines how much DHA the baby was exposed to in the last three months of the pregnancy, a crucial period for the development of retinal photoreceptors and neurons.
However, there did not seem to be a correlation between test results and DHA concentration in mothers' breast milk
"These results highlight the crucial importance of prenatal exposure to omega-3s in a child's development," Dr. Muckle told ThaIndian News.
The researchers said that a mother's diet with omega-3 fatty acids is important for the fetus. The diet has positive effects on a child's sensory, cognitive, and motor development. Benefits from eating fish with low contaminant levels and high omega-3 contents, such as trout, salmon, and sardines, far outweigh potential risks even during pregnancy.
The study is published in a recent edition of the Journal of Pediatrics.
