La salud de la mujer / Woman's HealthÁcidos grasos omega 3 y el desarrollo cerebral fetal
Los ácidos grasos omega-3 juegan un papel fundamental en el feto, especialmente en lo concerniente al desarrollo cerebral y del sistema nervioso, formación de la retina y crecimiento fetal general.
Los ácidos grasos omega 3 se deben incluir en la dieta normal de todas las personas; pero durante el embarazo se deben consumir al menos 250 gramos cada día para garantizar el desarrollo cerebral. Las necesidades de estos nutrientes son especialmente importantes durante el tercer trimestre del embarazo, cuando el desarrollo cerebral es más notable.
Los omega-3 se encuentran en los aceites de lino y el pescado graso como bacalao, atún, sardinas y salmón. También se pueden consumir suplementos de aceites de pescado enriquecidos con omegas-3. Sin embargo se ha llamado la atención sobre los peligros para el feto de consumir pescado con alto contenido en mercurio. Los omegas-3 también están presentes en vegetales, huevos, vegetales de hoja verde oscura y aceite de girasol.
Los omegas-3 consumidos durante el embarazo también se han relacionado con el cociente intelectual que tendrán los niños. El consumo materno de 340 gramos de pescado (equivale a tres porciones por semana) durante el embarazo aumenta el cociente intelectual de los niños, según una encuesta realizada en más de 11.000 embarazadas que parieron entre abril de 1991 y diciembre de 2002. Los beneficios son tan importantes que los investigadores dijeron que el riesgo que conlleva esa dieta en cuanto a la intoxicación por mercurio es despreciable en comparación con los beneficios de los omegas-3.
Lancet. 2007 Feb 17;369(9561):578-85.
Maternal seafood consumption in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood (ALSPAC study): an observational cohort study.
Hibbeln JR, Davis JM, Steer C, Emmett P, Rogers I, Williams C, Golding J.
BACKGROUND: Seafood is the predominant source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for optimum neural development. However, in the USA, women are advised to limit their seafood intake during pregnancy to 340 g per week. We used the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to assess the possible benefits and hazards to a child's development of different levels of maternal seafood intake during pregnancy. METHODS: 11,875 pregnant women completed a food frequency questionnaire assessing seafood consumption at 32 weeks' gestation. Multivariable logistic regression models including 28 potential confounders assessing social disadvantage, perinatal, and dietary items were used to compare developmental, behavioural, and cognitive outcomes of the children from age 6 months to 8 years in women consuming none, some (1-340 g per week), and >340 g per week. FINDINGS: After adjustment, maternal seafood intake during pregnancy of less than 340 g per week was associated with increased risk of their children being in the lowest quartile for verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) (no seafood consumption, odds ratio [OR] 1.48, 95% CI 1.16-1.90; some, 1.09, 0.92-1.29; overall trend, p=0.004), compared with mothers who consumed more than 340 g per week. Low maternal seafood intake was also associated with increased risk of suboptimum outcomes for prosocial behaviour, fine motor, communication, and social development scores. For each outcome measure, the lower the intake of seafood during pregnancy, the higher the risk of suboptimum developmental outcome. INTERPRETATION: Maternal seafood consumption of less than 340 g per week in pregnancy did not protect children from adverse outcomes; rather, we recorded beneficial effects on child development with maternal seafood intakes of more than 340 g per week, suggesting that advice to limit seafood consumption could actually be detrimental. These results show that risks from the loss of nutrients were greater than the risks of harm from exposure to trace contaminants in 340 g seafood eaten weekly.
menopausia climaterio
salud de la mujer
women's health
ginecologia
health