Consuming fish during pregnancy have proved to be profitable for both mother and baby in numerous ways including overall health improvement of mother and boosting brain growth in babies. A recent Southampton University study has found more health benefits with fish intake during pregnancy. Professor Philip Calder, a Danone International Prize for Nutrition awardee, reported that women eating salmon fish during pregnancy may guard their unborn child from becoming asthmatic. Salmon is rich in protein, vitamin B and omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids increment neurological and visual development in babies and reduce risk of premature delivery in pregnant women. Professor Philip Calder along with his colleagues trailed 123 pregnant women and their babies. Pregnant women were divided into two groups–half of them were instructed to eat salmon twice/week from week 19 of pregnancy until delivery while the other half were prescribed to refrain from fish consumption. The study found that children born to women who ate salmon were 5 times less probable to suffer from asthma at the age of 2-3 years than those whom mothers didn’t take salmon at all. However, no difference was found in children at the age of six months.