Omega-3 in Fish, Breast Milk Feeds Healthier Babies

When expectant mothers enjoy a diet rich in fish, their babies are more likely to develop better, physically and cognitively, than babies born to mothers who eat less fish. When babies are breastfed for a substantial length of time, their developmental progress closely resembles that of babies born to mothers who ate the most fish during pregnancy. Both fish and breast milk contain significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, thought to be an essential element in childhood development, according to a recent Danish study of infants and their mothers’ diets. The research team, consisting of investigators from both the United States and Denmark, examined records dating from 1997 to 2002 involving 25,446 babies born to mothers enrolled in the Danish Birth Cohort at that time. As a part of the birth cohort, expectant mothers recorded their diets, including how much and of which type of fish they ate, six months into their pregnancies. Mothers reported their babies’ developmental progress at 6 and 18 months and they revealed how long they breastfed their children.