Study shows omega-3 DHA boosts infant development

GORDONSVILLE, Va. A new study funded by Health Canada and other organizations has proven a direct correlation between dietary consumption of the omega-3 DHA and enhanced infant development, PBM Pharmaceuticals, a company that markets omega 3 supplements, announced Monday.

The study, which was supervised by Universite Laval researchers and published in the Journal of Pediatrics, reveals DHA consumed during the last months of pregnancy boosts an infant's sensory, cognitive and motor development.

"For years researchers and nutritional experts have studied the importance of DHA in a pregnant woman's diet, and the resulting impact these essential nutrients have on the development of her fetus," stated Barbara Levine, director of the Nutrition Information Center at Weill Cornell Medical College. "In addition to folic acid, which helps prevent the development of spinal bifida and other birth defects, it is necessary for expectant mothers to include DHA in their diets for brain and eye development."

Levine is a scientific advisory board member of http://www.dhaandbvitamins.org/, an educational Web site developed by specialists at Weill Cornell Medical College and other major academic medical centers.