Babies of women who have consumed the omega-3 fatty acids present in oily marine fish and algae during the first few months of life become less sick and have a better cold, according to a study published by Pediatrics.
Numerous studies in recent years confirm that long-chain, polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), have a beneficial effect on human health.
They are necessary, among others for the proper development of the child’s nervous system, therefore pregnant women are advised to increase the consumption of fatty sea fish, which are a rich source of these fats, or to use dietary supplements with omega-3. It is also known that these fats can reduce inflammation and boost immunity.
Researchers from Emory University in Atlanta (Georgia) tested whether the administration of DHA to pregnant women could affect the immunity of their future offspring. Nearly 1.100 pregnant Mexican women were included in the study. Some of them took 400 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) daily, and some of them a placebo. Administration of the dietary supplement was started between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy and continued until delivery.
All babies were breastfed, and higher amounts of DHA were found in the milk of mothers who used DHA during pregnancy.
Data on the symptoms of infection were collected for nearly 850 infants at the age of XNUMX, XNUMX and XNUMX.
In children of women who took DHA supplements during pregnancy, a reduction in various symptoms of colds (by 24% in total) at the age of one month was found. They had a shorter duration of cough (by 26%), secretions from the respiratory tract (by 15%) and wheezing (by 30%). The only disease symptom that was observed in them longer (by 22%) was eczema on the skin.
The researchers also calculated that at the age of three months, children of mothers using DHA were less ill (by about 14 percent) than infants in the control group.
After the age of six months, children who took omega-3 acid during pregnancy experienced a reduction in symptoms such as fever (by 20 percent), nasal discharge (by 13 percent), breathing difficulties (by 54 percent), rash (23%), but increased time it took children to vomit (74%).
As the authors conclude, taking DHA supplements during pregnancy reduces the risk of a cold in a one-month-old child, and also shortens the persistence of disease symptoms in children in the first, third and sixth month of life.
Our results show that pregnant women consuming 400 mg of docosahexaenoic acid are more likely to have a healthier baby. This large-scale study highlights the role of healthy eating in pregnancy, comments Dr Usha Ramakrishnan, lead researcher.
The researcher and her colleagues have previously shown that women who received 400 mg of DHA daily in their first pregnancy give birth to babies weighing 100 grams more on average. (PAP)
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