Pregnant women should eat fatty fish to protect their children from asthma

When expectant mothers eat two servings of salmon a week, the child's risk of asthma falls
Expectant mothers generally pay close attention to their health and nutrition because our diet can have a massive impact on the unborn child. Scientists now discovered that mothers who eat a lot of fatty fish (salmon) protect their child indirectly from future asthma.

When expectant mothers eat a lot of fatty fish, such as salmon, the child's risk of developing asthma is reduced. The researchers from the University of Southampton said in a press release to their study that eating salmon twice a week is enough to reduce the likelihood of developing asthma later on. The physicians presented the results of their study at the Experimental Biology Congress in San Diego.

Expectant mothers should eat salmon twice a week to reduce the likelihood that their unborn baby will develop asthma later in life. (Image: karelnoppe / fotolia.com)

Study conducted allergy tests at 6 months and 2 years old
A study led by Professor Philip Calder of the University of Southampton found that women should eat salmon more often during pregnancy. In the randomized controlled trial, a group of pregnant women were served fish twice a week. The mothers started on this diet during the 19th week of pregnancy and continued until the child was born. Later, at the age of six months, allergy tests were performed on the children. These were then repeated between the ages of two and three years, the researchers explain. Then the results were compared to a control group whose mothers had not eaten salmon during pregnancy. The first results at the age of six months showed no differences in the incidence of allergies. At the age of two and a half years, the situation changed. The children of mothers who ate salmon were at lower risk of developing asthma, explains Prof. Calder.

Lack of fatty acids can trigger serious illnesses
These latest results are a great example of Professor Calder's pioneering research on the specific relationships between diet and immune conditions that can occur throughout the course of human life, explain the physicians. Certain fatty acids or their deficiencies are responsible for a wide range of common diseases. From allergies and atherosclerosis to inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease, explains Prof. Calder. Although Professor Calder's research is primarily focused on fatty acids, it also covers neighboring areas such as pre- and probiotics, iron deficiency and amino acids. The goal of the work was to improve public health through new findings in nutrition science, the researchers explain.

Pregnant women should eat at most two servings of fat fish per week
Our new findings from the study show that early healthy nutrition can have a long-term health impact even during pregnancy, explains Prof. Calder. The National Heatlth Service (NHS) advises eating fish twice a week. A portion of it can be made from oily fish. Men and boys can consume salmon and other fatty fish up to four times a week, say experts at the NHS. The concern about the accumulation of toxic chemicals in oily fish should not be underestimated. It is advisable for pregnant women and women and girls of childbearing age to eat a maximum of two servings per week, the researchers recommend. (As)