|
|
Current and Breaking News for Professionals, Consumers and Media |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Current and Breaking News for Professionals, Consumers and Media |
|
|
|
|
|
Advice to limit consumption potentially harmful to childhood development
Scientists, including U.S. lead researcher Dr. Joseph R. Hibbeln with the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), participated in a comparison study of nearly 9,000 British families, analyzing the amount of fish eaten by pregnant mothers and the behavior and development of their children up to eight years old. Results provided abundant evidence that seafood and its omega-3 fatty acids are essential for nervous system development. The University of Bristol study involved more than 10 times the number of participants than earlier studies examining the health impacts of eating seafood during pregnancy. Hibbeln said, "We have found that when women had low levels of seafood consumption, the outcome was exactly the opposite of what was assumed by the United States Advisory. Unfortunately, the advice appears to have had the unintended consequence of causing harm in a specific developmental domain -- verbal development -- where protection was intended." The study found that mothers who ate more seafood than recommend by the U.S. guidelines had children who were more advanced in their childhood development and showed better verbal communication, motor coordination and social skills. Comparatively, children whose mothers consumed substantially less to no seafood showed poor testing results in these areas. National Fisheries Institute (NFI) President John Connelly said, "We encourage FDA to take into account the latest scientific evidence from this robust study that further supports what has already been established by many academic researchers -- nutrients found in seafood are crucial to proper childhood development and women should be further encouraged to eat a variety of fish at least twice a week." These results support findings in initial studies such as the October 2006 Harvard Medical School analysis, which found fish consumption one to two times per week greatly outweighs risks from exposure to contaminants such as trace amounts of methyl mercury; and Harvard's June 2005 study, which found that mothers who consumed more fish during pregnancy had babies who scored higher on cognitive tests. For additional supporting research and scientific findings on seafood, visit http://www.aboutseafood.com/. For more than 60 years, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and its members have provided American families with the variety of sustainable seafood essential to a healthy diet. For more information, visit http://www.aboutseafood.com/. www.HealthNewsDigest.com Top of Page 
|
Contact
Us | Job Listings
| Help | Site
Map | About Us
Advertising
Information | HND
Press Release | Submit
Information | Disclaimer
Site hosted by Sanchez Productions
