Why children need long chain Omega-3s

Why children need long chain Omega-3s and are they getting enough?

Experts on Omega-3 fatty acids will advise The Omega-3 Centre on the links between children’s health and Omega-3s at a Scientific Consensus Workshop to be held in Sydney on 20 April.

There is increasing scientific evidence for the role of long chain Omega-3 fatty acids in normal growth and development as well as health maintenance. Mothers’ breastmilk naturally contains significant quantities of long chain Omega-3s for babies’ health and now more and more infant formulas are including these Omega-3s in their formulation. But how strong is the evidence for Omega-3s’ health benefits for older children?

The scientific and nutrition experts at the Workshop include Dr Alexandra Richardson, Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University, who is internationally recognized for her scientific research into how nutrition, particularly essential fatty acids such as Omega-3s, can affect behaviour, learning and mood in children. Professor Marlena Kruger from Massey University will discuss the influence of Omega-3s on bones and muscles.

Other speakers will discuss Omega-3s in relation to normal brain growth and development, asthma, allergies and inflammation.

Recommendations for intakes of Omega-3s for children were released by the Ministry of Health in 2006. The Workshop will consider how these recommendations relate to actual intakes. Fish is the major source of long chain Omega-3s yet dietary studies indicate that children consume very little fish and seafood – for example, one study in Australia recently showed that most children consume fish less than once a week! Participants at the Workshop will consider how dietary choices can be improved to increase Omega-3 intakes.

Professor Andrew Sinclair, Scientific Adviser to the Omega-3 Centre said “Government nutrition policy currently pays scant attention to the need for long chain Omega-3 fatty acids in children and adolescents. We need to understand the role of Omega-3s in children’s health and ensure recommendations and advice on Omega-3s are communicated effectively to improve children’s intakes.”

The Centre plans to widely disseminate its findings. Wendy Morgan, Executive Director of the Centre said “We will release a scientific consensus paper on Omega-3 fatty acids and children to help raise community and government awareness and understanding of this key nutritional issue. Our children’s health is too important to ignore the roles of Omega-3s”

ENDS

© Scoop Media