A study about fish oil benefits in pregnancy involved 695 pregnant women who were given fish oil supplements in their final three months of pregnancy. It revealed a possibility of lowering the risk of asthma in children. With more than six million children with asthma in the United States and 330 million kids and adults worldwide, this study can be considered promising.
Results revealed that only 16.9 percent of the children whose mothers took fish oil during pregnancy developed asthma by age 3. While 23.7 percent of the kids who were given placebos were positive about the condition by three years. With the difference nearing 7 points, it can be stated that the 30.7 percent reduction can be considered significant.
As per New York Times, the study of fish oil benefits in pregnancy is yet to be tested and developed further. Though no adverse effects were observed in both the mothers and the babies, it can be noted that the fish oil doses were high. It was given 2.4 grams a day, which is 15 to 20 times higher than an average of American's daily intake.
"Future work is also needed to determine whether lower doses are effective and whether these results can be replicated in other populations." Dr. Christopher Ramsden stated.
Professor Kathleen Melanson also mentioned that the World Health Organization only recommends 3 grams of fish oil in a day as excessive amounts can lead to an increased risk for bleeding, lower blood pressure and an interaction with vitamins A, D and E, as reported by Fox News.
In connection to this, researchers stated that they are not yet ready to recommend this practice. The study needs to be performed and tested earlier in pregnancy and at different doses. As the study needs to be developed further, they say that the findings can aid in developing a "precision medicine" approach where fish-oil treatment is to be personalized for women who are most likely to have fish oil benefits in pregnancy.
