Babies and Children

Omega-3 fatty acids play a key role in the health of infants and children, from conception through infancy, as well as in the treatment of pediatric diseases.

 

 

There are currently 3 strands of research related to the use of marine-derived Omega-3s (EPA and DHA) for the health of infants and children:

  • dietary formulations
  • pediatric asthma
  • psychiatry and child psychology

 

 

Dietary formulations

 

Taking EPA and DHA fatty acids during pregnancy contributes to the healthy development of the baby.

Indeed, scientific evidence has suggested that formulations enriched in essential fatty acids, particularly DHA, would promote better visual and cognitive abilities in infants.

 

 

Pediatric asthma

A major study has shown that marine-derived Omega-3s (especially EPA) taken by pregnant women and infants can improve asthma symptoms, reduce inflammatory markers in the blood, and improve allergies and atopic dermatitis in children suffering from this type of affliction.

 

 

Psychiatry and psychology of children

The results of a recent study indicated EPA as the most important polyunsaturated fatty acid that can improve the learning abilities and behavioral disorders of children with:

 

 

  • attention deficit related hyperactivity disorder (ADHD);
  • Dyslexia;
  • dyspraxia.

 

 

 

It has been shown that EPA and DHA can have a profound impact on improving cognitive and intellectual abilities in adolescence even in those children who, at school age, do not manifest learning-related disorders.

 

High levels of Omega-3 in maternal cord blood, transferred to the fetus through the placenta, would reduce the future unborn child's risk of obesity.

 

Based on these findings, pediatricians and nutritionists therefore agree that supplementation of marine-derived Omega-3 EPA and DHA is of paramount importance in both maternal and newborn diets.

 
 
 
 
See also: