Consuming Omega 3 While Pregnant Doesn’t Fight Against Childhood Obesity, Claims New Study

01 Jul 2016 --- A new study conducted by the Technical University of Munich suggests that consuming products high in omega 3 while pregnant has no impact on a child’s weight after birth and into childhood.

Based on previous studies on animals, it was thought that the consumption of good fats such as omega 3 whilst pregnant could result in a lower likelihood of children becoming obese or overweight after birth. Additionally, the consumption of unhealthy fats such as omega 6, was thought to have a negative impact on the future weight of children.

However, a new study, conducted by Prof. Hauner from the Chair of Nutritional Medicine at TUM, is the first of its kind to test the theory on the human organism, and claims to have proven that the findings from previous animal studies are not translatable to humans.

The INFAT study, (Impact of Nutritional Fatty Acids during Pregnancy and Lactation on Early Human Adipose Tissue Development) looked at 208 women with an average age of 32 years and a BMI of 22. Half of the women continued to eat a normal diet, whilst the other 104-women ate a diet rich in omega-3, coupled with a significant reduction of omega 6 fats. The women followed this diet from the twelfth week of pregnancy to the fourth month of lactation.

After the children were born, they were examined once a year until they were 5 years old, making the study the first of its kind to deliver valid data over an extended period.

Prof. Hauner explains, "We examined the children using three different methods: firstly we measured their skin fold thickness, then ultrasound investigations were added as these are more accurate. In one part of the cohort we also used MRS imaging to measure the fat inside the abdominal cavity.”

Hauner concludes, “The end result was negative: this special diet had no effect on the weight of the babies and toddlers.”

Although this study proves that previous findings in animals are not translatable to humans, it could be possible that a mother’s diet during early pregnancy does have other beneficial effects. However, more clinical studies are needed to determine what these are.