Eating Canned Tuna in a Fish-Rich Diet Gave Babies' Brain Boost
March 26, 2008 — Washington, DC — A study scheduled for publication in the April edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology has found pregnancy diets rich in seafood are extremely beneficial for a child's brain development. Specifically, children of women who ate a variety of seafood that included canned tuna during pregnancy had higher test scores related to vocabulary than the children of women who never reported eating fish. This finding once again underscores the vital nutritional importance of fish, especially convenient and affordable sources like canned tuna, for pregnant women and the development of their babies' brains.
The study also concluded that recommendations for fish consumption during pregnancy should better reflect and promote the nutritional benefits of fish instead of focusing exclusively on trace amounts of naturally occurring mercury in ocean fish.
"We are seeing more and more independent studies documenting the critical importance of omega-3s during pregnancy for baby brain development at the same time we also know women's fish consumption during pregnancy has declined,' stated Mary Anne Hansan, spokesperson for the National Fisheries Institute's Tuna Council. "This study once again highlights the need for women to include canned tuna and a variety of other fish in their diet during pregnancy. Ocean fish, like canned tuna, provide women with essential omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, that are vital to a baby's brain development.'
The study, led by Dr. Emily Oken of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, calculated the effects of hundreds of prenatal women who ate canned tuna during their second-trimester and the impact it had on their children's cognitive development at age three. When evaluated for their vocabulary skills, the children whose mothers ate canned tuna at least twice a week during pregnancy scored substantially higher than the children of mothers who reported not eating tuna.
Unfortunately, far too many media stories have focused on the trace amounts of naturally occurring mercury found in ocean fish like tuna instead of the proven benefits. The resulting confusion has led to a decline in overall tuna consumption, depriving pregnant women and their babies of the nutritional and developmental benefits shown by this and other studies. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, tuna consumption declined from 2.9 to 2.7 pounds per American in 2007 and analysts predict this number will continue to drop in 2008.
Tuna is among the ocean fish that are the richest sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is concentrated in nerve cell membranes and is essential for development of the fetal nervous system.
The National Fisheries Institute's (NFI) Tuna Council, previously known as the U.S. Tuna Foundation, is dedicated to educating American families about canned tuna safety, sustainability and nutrition. Visit www.TunaFacts.com and www.AboutSeafood.com for additional information.
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The National Fisheries Institute's (NFI) Tuna Council, previously known as the U.S. Tuna Foundation, represents the major canned and pouched tuna brands in the United States. The Tuna Council focuses on a diverse range of consumer and sustainability issues including product safety and tuna conservation and management. For over 100 years, the tuna industry has provided American families with an affordable and nutritious source of tuna products. Visit www.TunaFoundation.org and www.AboutSeafood.com for additional information.
