Omega-3 During Pregnancy Reduces Risk of Eczema and Egg Allergies in Children
Omega 3 pregnancy: reduced risks of eczema and egg allergy in children
Taking Omega 3 during pregnancy reduces the risk that children may develop eczema or egg allergies by 38% and 50%, respectively. This was demonstrated by a group of researchers led by Maria Makrides from the Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute in Adelaide (Australia). The results of their research — which, to date, constitute the largest clinical study ever conducted on the effects of Omega-3 intake during pregnancy — were published by the British Medical Journal.
Help for mom and baby
Omega-3 fatty acids are important from pregnancy onwards, a period during which they play key roles for both the mother’s health and that of the unborn child. These nutrients help maintain blood pressure within normal limits, reducing the risk of complications for both mother and baby. Moreover, their action promotes proper blood flow to the placenta, facilitating oxygen and nutrient exchange, and reduces the risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, and postpartum depression. Specifically regarding children, an adequate intake of Omega-3 during pregnancy supports proper development of the nervous structures and decreases the incidence of certain diseases — such as asthma — after birth. And if prevention starts in the “belly,” several studies have shown that these fatty acids are also useful during childhood. In this life stage, Omega-3s have been shown, for example, to reduce inflammation and symptoms of atopic dermatitis and to improve intellectual functions in children with cognitive disorders.
Atopic eczema and egg allergy: Omega-3s reduce their incidence
The Australian study added a new detail to the benefits associated with Omega-3 intake during pregnancy. The analysis conducted by Makrides and colleagues was based on data from more than 700 women collected during the DOMInO (DHA to Optimise Mother and Infant Outcome) trial. During this study, pregnant women were asked to take, from the twenty-first week of gestation, 3 capsules a day of fish oil — corresponding to a daily dose of 900 mg of Omega-3 — or a vegetable oil without these nutrients. The researchers then assessed the incidence of allergies — in particular, eczema and food allergies — in children born from these pregnancies at the age of one. It emerged that Omega-3 intake by expectant mothers reduces the percentage of children who suffer from atopic eczema or egg allergies at one year of age by 38% and 50%, respectively.
Omega-3, a new weapon against allergies
According to Makrides, this clinical study shows that women suffering from allergies could reduce the likelihood that their children develop atopic eczema or atopic dermatitis in the first year of life by taking about 1 gram of fish oil during the second half of pregnancy. More generally, the results obtained by the Australian scientists confirm the importance of Omega-3 for the proper development of the immune system.
