Health Insite

Can Prenatal Supplements Make Babies Smarter?

September 2003

Most people are familiar with the old adage "you are what you eat." As simple as the saying is, it gives a reasonably accurate representation of the importance of good nutrition for health and well being. But when it comes to fetal development and nursing infants, "you are what your mother eats" may be more accurate. Research indicates that the maternal diet plays a vital role in normal infant development, both prenatal and (in breast-fed babies) neonatal, and that supplements can be an important factor, especially in the central nervous system. It’s well established that taking folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy can reduce a woman’s risk of having a child with neural tube defects. Now, new research suggests that maternal intake of fish oil supplements containing the omega-3 essential fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both during pregnancy and while nursing, can have a significant impact on early mental development.

The polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition of the central nervous system (CNS) consists almost entirely of DHA and the omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid, both of which are dietarily essential, meaning they cannot be manufactured by the body. For the fetus and nursing neonate, this means that these PUFAs must be present in the mother’s diet for normal CNS development. In the case of arachidonic acid, this is not a problem because it is abundant in a wide variety of foods. Dietary intakes of DHA, however, vary widely among pregnant and nursing women, depending primarily upon the amount of fish they consume. Because pregnant women are often advised to limit fish consumption out of concern for high mercury levels, achieving adequate DHA intake through dietary sources alone can be difficult. Consequently, many nutritionists recommend DHA supplements to pregnant and nursing mothers to ensure sufficient levels for normal fetal and neonatal CNS development. A recent Norwegian study conducted at the University of Oslo appears to support this recommendation.

In the randomized, double-blind study, pregnant women were given either 10 mL/day of cod liver oil (supplying 1,183 mg of DHA) or corn oil (placebo) starting in the 18th week of pregnancy and continuing for three months after delivery. Four years later, 48 children of women in the cod liver oil group and 35 children of women in the placebo group underwent a series of tests designed to gauge intelligence in children 21/2 -121/2 years of age. Children of women in the cod liver oil group scored significantly higher on the intelligence tests than children of women in the placebo group. After adjusting for other variables, maternal intake of DHA was the only variable of statistical significance for the children’s mental processing scores at age 4.

Although further research will be needed to confirm the findings of this small Norwegian study, this is not the first study to indicate that maternal DHA intake may play an important role in early CNS development.2 In other research, maternal DHA status has been associated with longer gestation3 and the development of normal vision.4 Taken together, these studies make a strong case for women to consider supplementing DHA during pregnancy and lactation.

Pediatrics 2003; 111 (1): e39-44.

Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 76 (3): 608-13.

Obstet Gynecol 2003; 101 (3): 469-79.

Am J Clin Nutr 2001; 73 (2): 316-22.

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