FISH OILS FOR CHILDREN

Fish Oil Supplements and their role in Child Brain Development

I read a newspaper article today about a small girl who had severe eczema - much of her body was covered with weeping sores - this child was given a fish oil supplement which cleared up her condition in a remarkably short space of time.

I had heard a lot about fish oil for children in the past, and what extraordinary results had been achieved in terms of improvements at school for 'ordinary' children as well as special needs and ADHD children, and thought it would be an interesting subject to research.

Hopefully the answers to some of the questions I was asking will be helpful for you too!

Why is fish oil important for the brain?

Over half of the brain consists of fat. Omega 3 fatty acids (found in oily fish) are an essential component of brain fat, essential for children's brain development both before and after birth. A deficiency in omega 3 has been linked to dyslexia, ADHD, schizophrenia and depression (N.B. Watch out for our article coming soon on depression in teenagers - fish oil may help prevent this!)

A recent UK experiment involved giving fish oil supplements to primary school children for six months. The children selected had problems with skills such as co-ordination, reading, writing and spelling. The study showed that there were very significant improvements in 12 out of 13 behavioral scales, including attention span, hyperactivity and short-term memory. In some children the changes were dramatic. One child improved his reading age by four years after only three months of taking the supplements.

Should the child get fish oil from his diet or a supplement?

If your child is eating oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna (but NOT tinned tuna), sardines (tinned is OK) or anchovies 2-3 times per week, he is unlikely to need a supplement. However, if he's not getting oily fish regularly, it is well worth considering a fish oil supplement and they are very easy to locate. The advice on how much to take per day when using a supplement varies but about 1000mg is a good middle ground.

Are there any dangers associated with fish oil for children?

While oily fish have massive health benefits, you should be aware of the risks involved; unfortunately the same chemistry that concentrates the important nutrients in fish oil also concentrates pollutants. Oily fish contain mercury, PCBs and other toxic chemicals, so it is not recommended to eat more than two 140g portions a week (for girls and women who may have a child in the future, just one portion a day is considered safe) or a maximum of four portions for boys and men.

In general, the larger fish tend to have more of the toxins than smaller fish - so sardines are usually safer than tuna for example.

What about taking fish oil supplements during pregnancy?

It's an especially good idea to take a fish oil supplement when you are pregnant. Your body has to provide a large amount of fatty acid in order to enable the baby inside you to build her brain; and the limits on the amount of oily fish you can safely eat mean that this is a time when supplementation is highly recommended.

Fish oil for children is clearly a key area of research, and all the evidence points to this being a very important nutrient that we should ensure our children are getting in sufficient quantities.