Oily fish can benefit kids

The consumption of oily fish like salmon while pregnant may reduce the risk of babies developing respiratory diseases like asthma, finds a new study.

The early results of the study showed that at six months, there was no difference in the allergy rate. However, at the two-and-half year mark, children whose mothers ate salmon while pregnant were less likely to have asthma.

"Our findings indicate that early nutrition interventions, even during pregnancy, can have long-lasting effects on health," said Philip Calder, professor at the University of Southampton in Britain.

The study proved that fatty acids - or a lack of them - are involved in a broad spectrum of common diseases, ranging from diverse allergies to atherosclerosis and inflammatory conditions such as Crohn`s disease.

The research was a randomised controlled trial in which a group of women ate salmon twice a week from week 19 of pregnancy.

Allergy tests were then performed on the children at six months and then at two-three years of age. The findings were presented at the recent Experimental Biology Congress in San Diego, US.

Source : THE TIMES OF INDIA