Fish Consumption During Pregnancy Improves Infant IQ
Spain scientists in a new report have put to rest the controversies surrounding eating fish by pregnant women as they disclosed that pregnant women who eat fish every week stand the chance improving the brain functionality of their children.
The study followed up with about 2,000 mothers starting from the first three months of pregnancy until the children turned five.
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According to LiveScience, the results showed that the children, whose mothers ate three to four servings of fish a week, had IQ scores that were 2.8 per cent higher than those whose mothers consumed less fish, with a reduced risk of having early symptoms of autism (serious developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact).
However, the lead author at the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona seems to be shocked with the result as he says certain fish, such as tuna which pregnant women have been discouraged from eating because of their higher levels of mercury, had turned out to have the biggest developmental benefits.
“The study was observational, so it does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship between fish and higher IQ scores. However, the findings suggest that high levels of a compound called docosahexaenoic acid may outweigh any negative effects of mercury,” Jordi Julvez said.
Still surprised, Julvez revealed that though tuna might have mercury, it also holds higher levels of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that plays a critical role in brain growth and development
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However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends pregnant women to eat two to three servings of fish that are lower in mercury per week such as salmon.
Meanwhile, a previous study by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public disapproves with this new claim about eating fish during pregnancy, as they suggested that prenatal exposure to mercury found in fish may increase the risk of developing health problems and irreversible impairment in brain function in children.
