A Quantitative Analysis of Prenatal Intake of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cognitive Development

The Scientific Paper:

Joshua T. Cohen, David C. Bellinger, William E. Connor, and Bennett A. Shaywitz. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. (Am J Prev Med) Nov 29 (4) pp. 335-346. 2005.

Review This Scientific Paper’s Abstract:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=search&term=
Bellinger+DC%5Bau%5D

The Purpose of this Study:

To determine the impact on Americans if they eat more or less fish.
To estimate the impact on their unborn child’s mental development when pregnant women eat certain “good” fatty acids.

Some Background, Methods, Results, Caveats, and Other Select Points:

This peer-reviewed, scientific paper was published in 2005.
Fish is rich in certain, good, fatty acids that may give fish eaters several health benefits. At the same time, certain types of fish contain high levels of the chemical pollutant methylmercury. Methylmercury may harm an unborn child’s mental development.
The U.S. government recommends that women of childbearing age eat less of certain fish that are high in methylmercury so these particular women can reduce their exposure to methylmercury.
Other U.S. government recommendations encourage the general population to eat fish because it is good for you.
This scientific paper pulls together - and then analyzes - the results from eight scientific studies using people as test subjects. These studies compare mental development in children who did receive “good” fatty acid supplements with children who did not.

A Bottom Line:
This peer-reviewed, scientific paper estimates that if a pregnant woman eats just 100 mg more of a certain, good, fatty acid every day that this alone will increase her unborn child’s IQ by 0.13 points.

Find This Scientific Paper for Your Review:
A Quantitative Analysis of Prenatal Intake of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cognitive Development. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. (Am J Prev Med) Vol 29 No 4, pp. 335-346. 2005.

[top]