Fish oil intake at the end of the third trimester is linked to an increase in body mass index in the child. The news, however, is far from negative. The children analyzed by the Danish team and the studies of the guinea pigs show an increase in lean body mass, not fat mass. Nevertheless, the study stops at the sixth year of life of the children: the consequences later with over the years are unclear.

The study involved 736 women who took fish oil or olive oil from the 24th week of pregnancy. After delivery, the researchers measured height, weight and head circumference of the children. They repeated the operation 11 times during the first 6 years of children's lives. According to the data, the children showed a higher than average body mass index.

The doctors integrated measurements with osteodensitometry, an examination to calculate bone density. It was found that the largest body mass was the result of an increase in lean body mass, not fat mass. It therefore appears that pregnant fish oil stimulates the growth of bones and muscles.

At the age of 6, children exposed to pre-natal fish oil had a total body mass 395 g higher than average. Of these, 280.7 g were of lean mass and only 116.3 g of fat mass. There are no data after 6 years, further studies will be needed to know the consequences after this age.

Source: bmj.com