Influence of Omega-3's on Children's Cognitive Performance & Reading Comprehension

Link (Study):  http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/111/1/e39.short

Link (n-3 Info): https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201103/your-brain-omega-3

Article (Study):  Maternal Supplementation With Very-Long-Chain n-3 Fatty Acids During Pregnancy and Lactation Augments Children’s IQ at 4 Years of Age
Article (n-3 Info): Your Brain On Omega 3

Authors (Study): Ingrid B. Helland, Lars Smith, Kristin Saarem, Ola D. Saugstad, Christian A. Drevon
Authors (n-3 Info): Emily Dean, M.D.

Summary (Combined)

                 In a 2008 study conducted by the American Association of Pediatrics, researchers sought to more deeply look at the effects of  Docosahecanoic (DHA) Omega - 3 fatty acids on a child's cognitive development. 590 mothers were recruited for the study, with 341 of them staying until the end.. Each was given either cod oil (containing DHA, eicosapentaenoic acid, and other Omega-3 fatty acids) or corn oil (containing linoleic acid α-linolenic acid) through 3 months after their delivery. At age 4, each 90 of the children who had been born to the subject mothers came back in for cognitive testing. The test measured a number of verbal and nonverbal comprehension and abilities. Dietary information was then obtained, showing that all the children had been breastfed through at least three months. When the results of cognitive performance were compared to the dietary information, clear patterns were shown. For example, the children of the mothers who had taken cod oil tended to outperform the children of the mothers who had taken corn oil. Also, the performance of the children at age 4 "correlated significantly" with overall maternal intake of DHA's and eicosapentaenoic acid. 

                It is theorized that the maternal diet has so much effect on the brain since Omega-3's are essential for the brain, but cannot be synthesized effectively by the body and thus must be consumed. The brain is known to be made of largely of fats, much of which makes up the cell membranes of neurons which electrical signals pass through. However, unlike most parts of the body, in a healthy brain the only fats used in large amounts are Omega-3's and certain Omega-6 derived versions, which is why they are necessary for brain function. During pregnancy and the first 18 months after birth, the brain of a child goes through massive growth. Therefore, a lack of Omega-3's would logically "starve" the brain for resources during this time, likely why the phenomenon of correlation between fatty acid concentration and cognitive performance takes place.