Eating Fish Builds Healthier Babies 

Want to build a longer, heavier baby? Try adding an extra portion of fish to your weekly diet.

Researchers compared the sizes of 1,022 babies born in the Faeroe Islands  (north of the United kingdom) with the fish- eating habits of their mothers. The more frequently the moms ate fish – up to three times a week- the larger and longer the babies were likely to be. Average increases were nearly a half- pound in weight and a centimeter in length.

Researchers speculate that oils in fish, called omega –3 fatty acids, may facilitate blood flow (and nutrients) to the placenta. It’s also possible, they say, that the oils may discourage production of the compounds that help initiate labor, so delivery doesn’t happen before its time.

“Eating fish may benefit the mother as well as the fetus,” says fish-oil researcher Yuping Wang, M.D, Ph.d., a research associate in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Medical College of Virginia in  Richmond. It may also decrease the risk of preeclampsia (dangerously high blood pressure during pregnancy), she says.

If you are going to eat more fish, try those richest in omega-3 fatty acids. Remember that this study was about fish, not fish –oil supplements, which may not be appropriate for pregnant women.  check with your doctor before taking any supplements during pregnancy.