Omega 3 supplements safeguard heart and arteries of babies born underweight

Benefits of Omega 3s for heart and artery health of children born underweight discovered. According to a study by the Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders in Camperdown, Australia, published in the journal Pediatrics, intake of these fatty acids during the first 5 years of life may, in fact, prevent the thickening of vessels typical of those born too small. The authors of the research, led by Michael Skilton, concluded that children born underweight may benefit from daily Omega-3 supplementation, which protects them from the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke as adults.

Babies born underweight: early health problems?

Babies who are born underweight are more likely to have to deal with health problems even as infants. In addition to disorders that can occur from the first weeks of life, there are also phenomena that can compromise the health of too young babies when they become adults. This is the case withthickening of the walls of the arteries, a process that, in these individuals, begins as early as childhood and increases the risk of developing heart and blood vessel diseases. In fact, increased vessel wall thickness is an indication of atherosclerosis, i.e., the presence of accumulations of material that can obstruct the passage of blood and thus cause strokes, heart attacks, and other serious problems in the cardiovascular system. Currently, there is no known strategy that can prevent this in those born underweight. Skilton and colleagues have, however, found that one hope may lie in omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients already known to exert benefits on the cardiovascular system in adult individuals.

Omega-3s protect children's hearts

To reach this conclusion, scientists conducted a study of 616 children born in Sydney, in which the health status of their arteries was monitored until they were 5 years old. Half of the toddlers involved in the research took up to this age 500 mg a day of fish oil, a supplement rich in these nutrients. The other children, however, were given an equal amount of a sunflower oil supplement. When all the young participants turned 8 years old, the doctors analyzed the thickness of the walls of their arteries. It was, thus, found that, of all the children, in those born underweight who had receivedsunflower oil as a supplement, the vessel walls were thicker. In contrast, the babies with a low birth weight, but who had been given Omega-3 rich fish oil, showed no signs of arterial wall thickening. Notably, according to data collected by the Australian scientists, in babies born underweight who do not take Omega-3, artery walls are 0.041 millimeters thicker per kilogram of birth weight.

Continued confirmation for healthier hearts and children

The results obtained by Skilton and colleagues add new details to the benefits of Omega-3s for the cardiovascular system. This finding also confirms that these fatty acids are valuable nutrients not only for adults, but also during childhood.  

Source

1. Skilton MR, Ayer JG, Harmer JA, Webb K, Leeder SR, Marks GB, Celermajer DS, "Impaired Fetal Growth and Arterial Wall Thickening: A Randomized Trial of Omega-3 Supplementation," Pediatrics. 2012 Feb 20. [Epub ahead of print].