A diet that includes plenty of fish isn’t just good for ‘ze little grey cells’, as smart detective Hercule Poirot often observed, it’s also good for the brain of your unborn child.
A study of 11,875 pregnant women has found that eating even just 340g a week of seafood dramatically improved their child’s development.
The researchers conclude that the benefits to the mother and especially the child far outweigh any risk from mercury contamination.
They also believe the current advice in the USA to restrict the intake of fish to below 340g during pregnancy needs to be looked at.
The study found that women who followed the advice and kept their fish intake to below 340g had children who were far more likely to be in the lowest quartile for verbal intelligence. They were also more likely to suffer from low scores in motor, communication and social development skills.
Seafood is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for optimum neural development.
(Source: The Lancet, 2007; 369: 578-85).