Eating for two takes on a whole new meaning following a new study published in The Journal of Pediatrics. With all the emphasis on making sure infants get sufficient omega-3 fatty acids in from mother’s milk or in formula, it’s easy to forget how important these essential fats are for a child developing in the womb.

But researchers at Université Laval, Canada, discovered fetuses with higher omega-3 levels during the final months of pregnancy do better on cognitive, sensory and motor development when in infancy.

The scientists measured the levels of an omega-3 fat called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in the umbilical cords of 109 infants to determine how much DHA they had received during the last trimester of pregnancy. Among all the omega 3 fatty acids, DHA is especially crucial for developing eyes and neurons, and fetuses and infants will even naturally convert other omega-3s into DHA if necessary.

When the researchers tested the same kids at 6 months and 11 months they found that vision, cognitive, and motor skills were more developed in the infants who’d been exposed to more DHA in the womb. This factor was even more important than the amount of DHA they later ingested from mother’s milk or formula after being born. Of course, a fetus can only get as much DHA as its mother has in her own system, so the maternal diet is crucial to a child’s health. 

Based on study findings, this team of researchers recommend pregnant women consume a diet rich in omega-3s to benefit the outcome of their children’s development. That diet could include omega-3 rich fish such as trout, wild salmon and sardines, or a nutritional supplement such as Animi-3, an omega-3 fatty acids and B-vitamin supplement.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.

With all the research showing the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids on a person’s heart, it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Recently, expert findings published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings condensed peer-reviewed research to summarize the latest data about how these healthy fats can improve heart health and lower levels of unhealthy cholesterol.

Researchers say the most convincing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids help hearts comes from three large trials involving more than 30,000 people. Some of the volunteers in the studies received DHA and EPA, the two omega-3 fats that are most closely associated with healthy hearts, and others received placebos. 

It turns out that those taking omega-3 supplements, or eating more fish, had between 19 and 45 percent fewer heart problems than the control group. 

According to James O’Keefe, M.D., a cardiologist from the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, evidence suggests the following: 

• People with known coronary heart disease should consume one gram of omega 3’s each day.
• People without known heart disease should consume approximately 500 milligrams of omega-3’s each day.

In addition, Dr. O’Keefe admitted those individuals with elevated triglyceride levels might benefit from as much as three to four grams of DHA and EPA per day; studies have shown that this dietary intake can significantly reduce cholesterol levels.

Two servings of fish offer approximately 500 milligrams of omega 3’s; the remaining dietary omega-3 intake can be derived from omega-3 nutritional supplements.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.