Consuming fish oil during pregnancy helps boosts kids' growth

Taking fish oil supplements during pregnancy can help children gain weight in a healthy way for the first six years, the Daily Mail reported.

Copenhagen University researchers discovered pills taken during the later stages of pregnancy, gave children higher body mass indexes (BMI), but they did not gain more body fat than children's whose mothers didn't take it.

"Fish oil supplementation from the 24th week of pregnancy led to a higher BMI in the offspring from 0 to six years of age but not an increased risk of obesity at age six," study co-author Dr Hans Bisgaard of Copenhagen University, told the Daily Mail.

Adding,"The body composition at age six years in children given fish oil supplementation was characterised by a proportional increase in lean, bone, and fat mass suggesting a general growth stimulating effect of n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid."

Pregnant women give birth to higher birth weight babies as a result of high consumption of fish oil, trials have revealed.

"Diet during pregnancy and infancy is an important determinant for children's development and health," Dr Bisgaard went on to explain.

Adding, "In particular, intake of fish containing n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) is important for adequate development."