Fish Oil May Protect Preemies' Eyesight
(Washington, AP, 7/9/07)

Dr. Lois Smith of Children's Hospital Boston, and team, plan to test whether fish oil can prevent retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye disease that destroys the retinas of premature babies. ROP develops when too many of the blood vessels that nourish the retina form and then leak. Rather than prescribe drugs, the team is approaching the problem by giving preemies compounds that they were born too soon to absorb from their moms. Since significant eye development occurs in the last trimester, which is also when a pregnant woman passes the most omega-3s to her fetus, the investigators believe supplementing with omega-3s will promote normal eye development in preemies whose eyes must continuing forming after birth.  Smith’s team has already tested their theory in the lab by damaging the retinas of mice and then feeding some of the rodents a diet rich in omega-3s. The scientist found that, not only did the omega-3 mice have fewer abnormal blood vessels, but they actually grew more normal vessels than the other rodents with damaged retinas. The researchers speculate that the fish oil works by blocking inflammation.