Eating Fish During Pregnancy Increases Children's IQ
IQ and intelligence: eating fish during pregnancy helps brain development
Eating fish during pregnancy can increase the intelligence quotient in children. This emerges from data presented during the Eleventh European Nutrition Conference in Madrid (Spain) by Eva Lattka, researcher at the Helmholtz Zentrum in Munich (Germany), a German research center for environmental health. Lattka explained that the data collected suggest a correlation between the intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a Omega-3 fatty acid contained in fish, and the observed effects on children's mental abilities. The researcher specified that the increase in intelligence quotient is also associated with other factors, and that DHA contained in fish cannot be considered the sole cause of the observed effect.
Omega-3 and the brain
The study presented in Madrid is part of a broader project funded by the European Commission aimed at revealing the role of diet in determining children's mental abilities. Lattka and colleagues focused on the effect of a diet rich in fish, a food that contains high levels of Omega-3, on the brain development during pregnancy. These fatty acids are important components of the neuronal membranes and are essential for the proper development of the nervous system. Several studies have shown that Omega-3s introduced through diet are necessary for the multiplication and functioning of nerve cells. They also help maintain adequate levels of neurotransmitters, molecules responsible for transmitting the nerve impulse. Other research has associated Omega-3s with beneficial effects for children suffering from behavioral disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia.
The link between pregnancy, fish, and intelligence
The study presented during the conference aimed to deepen the effect of high fish consumption during pregnancy on the intelligence quotient of school-age children. The researchers analyzed data relating to 2,750 pregnant women, collected through questionnaires, medical reports, biological sample analyses, and measurements. The health status of the children of these women was monitored from before birth. From the age of 8, the researchers focused on assessing verbal intelligence. Children whose mothers consumed higher levels of fish during pregnancy performed better on tests assessing verbal intelligence, motor skills, and prosocial behaviors, such as helping others. Since fish is one of the main sources of Omega-3, and because DHA accumulates in the brain during fetal development, the authors hypothesized that these results were due to the intake of this fatty acid. The data collected seem to indicate an association between maternal DHA levels during pregnancy and the child's intelligence quotient. However, a more detailed analysis showed that this correlation also depends on other factors:
- mother’s age
- alcohol and smoking consumption during pregnancy
- family factors
- sex.
Benefits of fish for children: not only DHA
Lattka concluded that the benefits of fish are not only associated with the presence of DHA, but that this food could contain other nutrients influencing children's intelligence quotient.
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