Cod

Omega 3 Fish Oil (EPA/DHA) For Infants And Children

Did you know that there is a 5 point difference between breast fed and bottle fed babies? The reason may be that breast milk contains adequate levels of Omega 3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA). The brain and eyes need an especially high level of EPA/DHA. That's because brain tissue contains a lot of DHA. Low levels of DHA slows brain growth and development leading to potentially serious complications. Some of these complications are:

• learning disabilities
• poor concentration skills
• poor judgment

Many medical studies have found that EPA and DHA are beneficial to brain and vision development and there are no adverse affects from taking the correct amount of fish oil. In fact they have shown that children with low levels of Omega 3's may be more inclined to develop attention deficit disorder.

An adequate intake of EPA/DHA is important during pregnancy since the unborn baby is given these essential fatty acids through the umbilical cord. This helps the baby achieve his best growth and weight. However, EPA/DHA supplementation should be reduced prior to delivery since EPA acts as a natural blood thinner and may cause excessive bleeding. Be sure to let your doctor know you are supplementing with EPA.

Once the baby is born, a nursing mother should resume supplementation so that her breast milk will be rich with EPA/DHA. Not only will this help with her baby's growth and development, but low levels of EPA have been associated post partum depression. Low levels of progesterone after delivery have also been linked to a lack of DHA.

While cod liver oil is a good source of EPA/DHA one must be careful. Many times it is contaminated with harmful substances. Even fish sold in stores may contain these substances. Mercury and PCB's are just two of the substances that might be consumed from fish, fish oil or cod liver oil that is not meticulously manufactured. So the question becomes, how best to get EPA/DHA into our bodies to enjoy the health benefits for ourselves and our children while minimizing the risk of ingesting harmful chemicals or heavy metals.

The best way for an infant to receive their fish oil supplementation is for a nursing mother to take a high quality EPA/DHA supplement and to consume a few servings a week of cold water fish. If an infant is no longer breast-feeding or is not breast-feeding at all, 70mg/kg (2.2 lbs = 1 kg) of weight is the recommended dose of fish oil for infants and children which can be added to the formula. For older children, try making shakes or fruit smoothies. Remember to talk to your doctor before starting to take or give EPA/DHA.

Prenatal Omega-3 vs. Allergies in Children

Taking fish oil supplements when pregnant could protect offspring from developing allergies, suggests new research from an Australian team in the December 2003 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Janet Dunstant and her team examined fish oil supplements and their effects in 40 pregnant women (from 20 weeks gestation to delivery) on the immune response in their infants. All the women had a history of hay fever or asthma, making their children at increased risk of allergies. Another 43 women took an olive oil placebo.

The supplements resulted in significantly higher levels of omega-3 and lower levels of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes of babies born to mothers in the fish oil group.

Source for reports: Whole Foods magazine, April 2004.

In November of 2002, the American Heart Association recommended fish oil capsules for those who aren't eating enough fish.!!

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.