Did You Know?

Omega 3's Tied to Healthy Birth Weights

September 2009

Mothers who eat more fish, and subsequently more omega-3 fatty acids, have babies with higher birth weights than women who don’t consume as much fish, according to a new study from India. Writing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences report that women who consumed fish during the third trimester of pregnancy had a 150% greater chance of having a baby with a higher birth rate than women who didn't include fish in their diets. Furthermore, women with high intakes of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) also gave birth to babies who weighed more. The prospective cohort study followed 676 women in India from their first trimester until immediately after the birth of the child. Researchers noted: "Supplementation with omega-3 LCPUFA during pregnancy may have important implications for fetal development in India."

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 63:340–346, 2009

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