Babies of mothers who did not consume enough omega-3 fatty acids (DHA) during pregnancy have slower neurological development. That's what a new scientific study just showed.

Researchers wanted to determine whether a diet low in DHA in pregnant women contributes to poor child development. So they compared the development of babies of women consuming a lot of DHA versus mothers with a normal diet. A group of 67 pregnant women taking 400 mg per day of DHA for the last 16 weeks before delivery and another group of 68 women taking a placebo were part of the study.

The researchers assessed the visual acuity of infants in both groups at two months of age. The vision test assessed the ability to distinguish lines of different widths, a classic assessment method for measuring neurological maturity in infants.

The results indicate that the babies of mothers who took DHA had better visual acuity than those in the placebo group. This study thus confirms the interest of a supplementation of DHA-type omega-3 fatty acids in pregnant women.

It is therefore necessary to distinguish the two types of omega 3 fatty acids: DHA and EPA. The many beneficial effects attributed to omega 3s, both in terms of cardiovascular and mental health, are indeed due to EPA. Adults should therefore consume an omega 3 that is much richer in EPA than in DHA (ratio 7 EPA for 1 DHA). Only pregnant women should take an omega 3 richer in DHA (ratio 3 EPA for 2 DHA).

By Dr. Thierry Schmitz