Omega 3 Deficiency in Children.. Before birth, regular intake of omega-3 during pregnancy would improve brain- cognitive and motor development of children.
A Canadian study was done on more than a hundred children of northern Canada, to evaluate the impact of consumption of DHA- part of Omega 3 fatty acids, found in fish and fish oils by the mothers, to measure various parameters of fetal growth.
“The results show the crucial importance of Omega-3 consumption before birth for the development of children” said one of the authors of the study. “During the nervous system development phase, the fetus needs DHA in significant amounts to build its brain functions”.
One of the psychiatrists and the medical head of the Perinatal Psychiatry Program at the institute said: “Considering the proven benefits on the baby and the mother, the prescription of omega-3 should be systematic, but the doctors have not been prescribing it much as they are afraid of toxicity”. Hence the importance of laboratory controls on the total absence of germs by the laboratory working to make sure they are non- toxic.
In addition, according to scientists at the University of Maastricht, DHA would protect from the baby blues.
And after birth.. The breastfed babies seem to have better balanced diets, with the omega-3 in breast milk. Studies have shown that omega-3 rich milk directly affects the cognitive abilities and the brain function of the babies, and their visual performance.
The omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the growth parameters and vision- retina, the functions of neuronal metabolism and chemical messengers in the brain which transmit information. Breastfed babies of mothers who had omega 3 supplementation had much better intellectual capabilities for another 20 to 30 years after birth.
Moreover, the lack of omega -3 fatty acids during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of depression in children.
French and Spanish researchers have made a discovery that could explain the link between a diet low in omega -3 and mood disorders, including depression. The deficit in omega 3 during pregnancy hinders brain development in the child ‘s life in the womb.
The authors tested the impact of a diet low in omega -3 on children’s brains. They fed pregnant mice with an Omega 3 lacking diet and a diet rich in omega-3 and analyzed the brain activity of children.
The Omega 3 deficiency in children seems to interfere with certain brain regions involved in reward, motivation and emotional regulation including the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. Indeed, receivers necessary for the transmission of nerve information do not work and this may lead to depression.
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