CANBERRA – Taking fish oil supplements while pregnant will not result in smarter children, according to the results of a decade-long study by Australian researchers.
Researchers from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) discovered that routinely taking DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) supplements – an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oils – while pregnant does not affect the future ‘brightness’ of the child, despite some supplement companies claiming it will.
The team from SAHMRI followed more than 460 children from pregnancy until they were 10 years old, and found a negligible difference in the IQ of those whose mothers took fish oil supplements compared to those who didn’t.
According to the research, the average IQ of children born after exposure to fish oils was 98.31 compared to 97.32 for the “control group”.
Jacqueline Gould from SAHMRI told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC) there were no significant differences in language, academic abilities, or executive functioning as a result of fish oil exposure. (PNA/Xinhua)
