Study shows typical pregnancy diet may pose risk to infant development

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
says the typical American diet, low in seafood, is deficient in omega-3
fatty acids and may pose a risk to babies developing eyes and brains.

This is what we have been concerned about for years, said Mary A.
Harris, PhD., RD an expert in fetal nutrition from Colorado State
University. Weve been trying to get the word out about just how vital
omega-3 fatty acids are to a developing child. And the only way babies
in the womb get their omega-3s is through moms diets. This study
highlights just how important it is for women and families to get
positive messages about eating fish.

The study, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research,
looked at 135 pregnant women and ran vision tests on their children at
two months of age.

The researchers found that the women who
ate lots of meat and little fish were deficient in omega-3 fatty acids,
and their babies didnt do as well on eye tests as babies from mothers
who werent deficient, according to a release from the Child and
Family Research Institute, the organization that conducted the study.
This discovery is an important step towards developing dietary fat
guidelines for pregnant and breastfeeding women [that]evolved from the
1950s emphasis on reducing saturated fat intake.

For more than 60 years, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI)
and its members have provided American families with the variety of
sustainable seafood essential to a healthy diet. For more information
visit: www.AboutSeafood.com.

Contact Information

Gavin Gibbons
(703) 752-8891