Article from The Lancet re: Seafood and Pregnancy

[Guest guest]

This stuff makes me mad (see below). Why did they assume you have to eat seafood

to get Omega-3?!?

 

Paula

 

 

 

New research reveals mothers who eat seafood during pregnancy have kids with

better brain function than those born to mothers who eat little or no seafood

during pregnancy.

Seafood contains Omega-3 fatty acids -- nutrients essential for optimal brain

development in growing fetuses. However, a 2004 U.S. advisory suggested pregnant

women limit their intake of seafood to 340 grams per week. The advisory was

aimed at reducing the potential harmful effects on the brain from pollutants

like mercury in seafood.

Researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Bristol University

in England studied roughly 12,000 pregnant women who completed a food

questionnaire assessing their seafood consumption at 32 weeks gestation.

Results of the study reveal women who ate less than 340 grams of fish a week

(less than three portions) were more likely to have children in the lowest

quartile of verbal IQ, when compared to mothers who ate more than 340 grams per

week. Low seafood consumption was also associated with a higher risk of

suboptimal outcomes for prosocial behavior, fine motor, communication and social

development scores. Researchers found the lower the seafood consumption, the

higher the risk of a suboptimal outcome.

In previous studies, researchers linked insufficient Omega-3 fatty acid

consumption during pregnancy to intrauterine growth retardation, delayed or less

than optimal depth perception, unfavorable neurodevelopmental measures, deficits

in fine motor skills, and irreversible deficits in important brain chemicals.

Study authors write, " Advice that limits seafood consumption might reduce the

intake of nutrients necessary for optimum neurological development. " They go on

to write, " We recorded no evidence to lend support to the warnings of the U.S.

advisory that pregnant women should limit their seafood consumption. In

contrast, we noted that children of mothers who ate small amounts (less than 340

grams per week) of seafood were more likely to have suboptimum

neurodevelopmental outcomes than children of mothers who ate more seafood than

the recommended amounts. "

SOURCE: The Lancet, 2007;369:578-585

 

 

[Guest guest]

Well geez, makes ya wonder how many state capitals my three year-old would know

if I'd just been a good enough parent to poison her with mercury before birth.

 

PJT <johnsontew wrote: This stuff

makes me mad (see below). Why did they assume you have to eat seafood to get

Omega-3?!?

 

Paula

 

New research reveals mothers who eat seafood during pregnancy have kids with

better brain function than those born to mothers who eat little or no seafood

during pregnancy.

Seafood contains Omega-3 fatty acids -- nutrients essential for optimal brain

development in growing fetuses. However, a 2004 U.S. advisory suggested pregnant

women limit their intake of seafood to 340 grams per week. The advisory was

aimed at reducing the potential harmful effects on the brain from pollutants

like mercury in seafood.

Researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Bristol University

in England studied roughly 12,000 pregnant women who completed a food

questionnaire assessing their seafood consumption at 32 weeks gestation.

Results of the study reveal women who ate less than 340 grams of fish a week

(less than three portions) were more likely to have children in the lowest

quartile of verbal IQ, when compared to mothers who ate more than 340 grams per

week. Low seafood consumption was also associated with a higher risk of

suboptimal outcomes for prosocial behavior, fine motor, communication and social

development scores. Researchers found the lower the seafood consumption, the

higher the risk of a suboptimal outcome.

In previous studies, researchers linked insufficient Omega-3 fatty acid

consumption during pregnancy to intrauterine growth retardation, delayed or less

than optimal depth perception, unfavorable neurodevelopmental measures, deficits

in fine motor skills, and irreversible deficits in important brain chemicals.

Study authors write, " Advice that limits seafood consumption might reduce the

intake of nutrients necessary for optimum neurological development. " They go on

to write, " We recorded no evidence to lend support to the warnings of the U.S.

advisory that pregnant women should limit their seafood consumption. In

contrast, we noted that children of mothers who ate small amounts (less than 340

grams per week) of seafood were more likely to have suboptimum

neurodevelopmental outcomes than children of mothers who ate more seafood than

the recommended amounts. "

SOURCE: The Lancet, 2007;369:578-585

 

[Guest guest]

My sister is a nurse/midwife who mostly teaches (both students and patients).

She tells pregnant women not to eat seafood because of the toxins.

 

PJT <johnsontew wrote: This stuff makes me mad (see below).

Why did they assume you have to eat seafood to get Omega-3?!?

 

Paula

 

New research reveals mothers who eat seafood during pregnancy have kids with

better brain function than those born to mothers who eat little or no seafood

during pregnancy.

Seafood contains Omega-3 fatty acids -- nutrients essential for optimal brain

development in growing fetuses. However, a 2004 U.S. advisory suggested pregnant

women limit their intake of seafood to 340 grams per week. The advisory was

aimed at reducing the potential harmful effects on the brain from pollutants

like mercury in seafood.

Researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Bristol University

in England studied roughly 12,000 pregnant women who completed a food

questionnaire assessing their seafood consumption at 32 weeks gestation.

Results of the study reveal women who ate less than 340 grams of fish a week

(less than three portions) were more likely to have children in the lowest

quartile of verbal IQ, when compared to mothers who ate more than 340 grams per

week. Low seafood consumption was also associated with a higher risk of

suboptimal outcomes for prosocial behavior, fine motor, communication and social

development scores. Researchers found the lower the seafood consumption, the

higher the risk of a suboptimal outcome.

In previous studies, researchers linked insufficient Omega-3 fatty acid

consumption during pregnancy to intrauterine growth retardation, delayed or less

than optimal depth perception, unfavorable neurodevelopmental measures, deficits

in fine motor skills, and irreversible deficits in important brain chemicals.

Study authors write, " Advice that limits seafood consumption might reduce the

intake of nutrients necessary for optimum neurological development. " They go on

to write, " We recorded no evidence to lend support to the warnings of the U.S.

advisory that pregnant women should limit their seafood consumption. In

contrast, we noted that children of mothers who ate small amounts (less than 340

grams per week) of seafood were more likely to have suboptimum

neurodevelopmental outcomes than children of mothers who ate more seafood than

the recommended amounts. "

SOURCE: The Lancet, 2007;369:578-585

 

 

[Guest guest]

that's the problem with the wide array of medical/other journal articles and

studies posted online. It was actually not a bad study from a scientific point

of view, but those who have education in other areas will take that as " eat lots

of fish " and ignore potential dangers of heavy metal toxicity and/or remain

ignorant of the fact that there are better places to get omega-3's (although it

was not demonstrated for certain that it was the omega-3's in the seafood, only

that it was seafood. A more in depth study would have to be conducted to isolate

the actual nutrient although we definitely could reasonably say it was probably

the omega-3's. However, that is only a hypothesis--a good one, but one

nevertheless. In an article that provides the study along with its

interpretation and further hypotheses, one must be very careful to separate the

outcomes of the testing from the interpretation of the study).

 

Kadee M <abbey_road3012 wrote: Well geez, makes ya wonder

how many state capitals my three year-old would know if I'd just been a good

enough parent to poison her with mercury before birth.

 

PJT <johnsontew wrote: This stuff makes me mad (see below). Why did

they assume you have to eat seafood to get Omega-3?!?

 

Paula

 

New research reveals mothers who eat seafood during pregnancy have kids with

better brain function than those born to mothers who eat little or no seafood

during pregnancy.

Seafood contains Omega-3 fatty acids -- nutrients essential for optimal brain

development in growing fetuses. However, a 2004 U.S. advisory suggested pregnant

women limit their intake of seafood to 340 grams per week. The advisory was

aimed at reducing the potential harmful effects on the brain from pollutants

like mercury in seafood.

Researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Bristol University

in England studied roughly 12,000 pregnant women who completed a food

questionnaire assessing their seafood consumption at 32 weeks gestation.

Results of the study reveal women who ate less than 340 grams of fish a week

(less than three portions) were more likely to have children in the lowest

quartile of verbal IQ, when compared to mothers who ate more than 340 grams per

week. Low seafood consumption was also associated with a higher risk of

suboptimal outcomes for prosocial behavior, fine motor, communication and social

development scores. Researchers found the lower the seafood consumption, the

higher the risk of a suboptimal outcome.

In previous studies, researchers linked insufficient Omega-3 fatty acid

consumption during pregnancy to intrauterine growth retardation, delayed or less

than optimal depth perception, unfavorable neurodevelopmental measures, deficits

in fine motor skills, and irreversible deficits in important brain chemicals.

Study authors write, " Advice that limits seafood consumption might reduce the

intake of nutrients necessary for optimum neurological development. " They go on

to write, " We recorded no evidence to lend support to the warnings of the U.S.

advisory that pregnant women should limit their seafood consumption. In

contrast, we noted that children of mothers who ate small amounts (less than 340

grams per week) of seafood were more likely to have suboptimum

neurodevelopmental outcomes than children of mothers who ate more seafood than

the recommended amounts. "

SOURCE: The Lancet, 2007;369:578-585