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Omega-3 fatty acid could boost IQ for preterm babies
Medical Xpress / SAHMRI / New England Journal of Medicine ^ | Oct. 27, 2022 | Jacqueline F. Gould et al

Posted on 10/27/2022 8:31:07 PM PDT by ConservativeMind

New research has found a link between the omega-3 fatty acid known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and increased IQ among children born prematurely.

Preterm children are more likely to have lower IQ scores and cognitive impairments compared with term-born children.

Dr. Jacqueline Gould says infants born at the earliest gestations are deprived of the natural supply of DHA that normally builds up in the brain during the last trimester of pregnancy.

"These babies have low concentrations of DHA in their brain tissue, which may contribute to poorer cognitive outcomes," Dr. Gould said.

"The goal of our research was to test if supplementing these children with DHA after they're born, can make up for some of what they lacked due to preterm birth and boost brain development."

The study followed 323 infants born before 29 weeks' gestation, who were given 60mg of DHA/kg per day via enteral or control tube feeding.

They were compared with 333 children in the control group, who received an emulsion with no DHA. At five years old, children in both groups underwent the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) IQ test.

"On average, those in the DHA group scored 3.5 points higher on the IQ scale than those in the control group," Dr. Gould said.

"These very promising results suggest DHA has the potential to improve cognitive performance when administered via emulsion for infants born before 29 weeks' gestation."

Although medical advances over the past 30 years have increased the survival rates of infants born before 29 weeks' gestation, there has been no improvement in their cognitive development.

Supplying DHA to these infants while they are in hospital may be one simple intervention that can help boost brain function.

(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: dha; iq; omega3
Omega-3 fats are essential fatty acids, meaning they are required.

It has been said the mother’s body literally pulls Omega-3 fats out of the mother’s use, to give to the baby. It was thought this was partly responsible for some mental acuity issues mothers had for awhile, after giving birth.

It is important to get Omega-3s to babies who were born premature, because their mothers were unable to provide enough, and we don’t do a great job of supplementing formula with them. Thankfully, some will cross into the baby from breast milk.

1 posted on 10/27/2022 8:31:07 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
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To: Mazey; ckilmer; goodnesswins; Jane Long; BusterDog; jy8z; ProtectOurFreedom; matthew fuller; ...

The “Take Charge Of Your Health” Ping List

This high volume ping list is for health articles and studies which describe something you or your doctor, when informed, may be able to immediately implement for your benefit.

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2 posted on 10/27/2022 8:31:39 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind

I’m picturing preemies taking IQ tests.


3 posted on 10/27/2022 8:49:01 PM PDT by OrangeHoof (No food in the stores; fuel prices too high? Thank a liberal.)
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To: ConservativeMind

This incorrect. Injecting them with the pfizer/moderna covid shots will grant eternal life.

~Fauci


4 posted on 10/28/2022 4:20:26 AM PDT by dynachrome (“We cannot save Ukraine by dooming the US economy.” Rand Paul)
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