By Joseph Hazan,M.D.,FACOG
OMEGA-3
Preterm birth is an ongoing problem in the US. Babies who are born too
early weigh less than five pounds and between 1980 and 2000 the number
of low birth weight infants has increased by 11.8%. The number of very
low-birth weight infants who weigh less than three pounds have increased
even more, by 24.3%.
Prevention of Prematurity
To prevent the prematurity problem several strategies have been
under development. One of these have to do with improved nutrition
of the mother. According to the SNSIG, a group tasked with nutritional
guidelines during pregnancy, increased intake of Omega-3 fatty acids is
currently recommended. Daily intake of 300mg EFA (essential fatty acids) is
recommended. Omega -3 fatty acids include the following
and more coverage will be provided to this issue in the next few days:
LNA – Alpha Linoleic acid
EPA- eicosapentaenoic acid
DHA-docosahexaenoic acid
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