Oily Fish in Pregnancy Wards Off Asthma in Baby
 (NY, Reuters Health, 5/27/04)

When Dr. Frank Gilliland of the University of Southern California, LA, and team, questioned 691 mothers, half of whom had children who had developed asthma at a young age, the researchers found that the offspring of asthmatic women were 70% less likely to develop asthma before age 5 if their mothers had eaten oily fish regularly during pregnancy. The investigators speculate that the omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish may lessen the asthmatic inflammatory response in children who are genetically predisposed to the condition. Scientists caution, however, that fish may contain mercury, which can hamper fetal mental development and note that fish oil supplements tend to contain less mercury than fish.