Did you know that about 75 per cent of brain cells are in place before birth and the other 25 per cent are in place by the age of one year? That a newborn baby’s brain grows to almost three times its size at birth and that 60 per cent of the fats in the brain are Omega 3 with DHA – the important one for brain development?
A new website—www.brainfood.ie— features information on the importance of Omega 3 in pregnancy.
Consultant nutritionist, Aoife Kirwan, says: “Omega 3 fats play an important role in baby's developing brain, eyes, and nervous system. About 75 per cent of the brain is developed in the womb and the baby gets Omega 3 fats from the mother's diet.”
Kirwan specifies that it is the DHA Omega 3 essential fatty acid which is vital for a baby's developing eyes and brain. “DHA Omega 3 is found in oily fish such as salmon, tinned salmon, fresh tuna, canned tuna with added Omega 3, sardines and mackerel, and to a lesser extent in egg yolk and meat,” she advises, “and pregnant women are advised to eat one portion of oily fish and one portion of white fish per week.”
Benefits of Omega 3 for baby:
Helps build the brain
Helps form the retina
Develops the nervous system
Facilitates the development of the eyes and nerves
Benefits of Omega 3 for pregnancy, health, and wellbeing:
Reduces the chances of developing pre-eclampsia
Reduces the risk of postpartum depression
Minimises the chance of pre-term labour, helping mothers to carry to a healthy or full-term pregnancy
