How important is your baby?

Abstract: Children whose mothers regularly eat fish while pregnant perform better when assessed on verbal, visual and motor development skills. However, eating fish low in mercury is important. Children whose mothers had higher levels of mercury in their blood during pregnancy scored lower when assessed.

The presence of mercury and other contaminants in fish and fish oil is a major concern. Nutrient supplements may assist you in giving your child the best health they can have. However if these supplements are of lesser quality, you may not be helping your baby. You could be harming them.

KEYWORDS: Procare, Kids Intelligent, fish oil, pregnancy, smarter children, child health

In recent years, evidence has come to light that preschool children whose mothers regularly ate low-mercury fish or consumed high quality fish oil during pregnancy may have better attention, learning, cognitive, memory and physical development when compared to their peers [1, 2].

Researchers have found that children whose mothers ate fish more than twice a week, or alternatively took high quality fish oil each day, while pregnant performed better on tests assessing verbal, visual and motor development. Alternatively, tests scores were lower among preschoolers whose mothers had relatively high mercury levels in their blood during pregnancy [2].

These findings raise a major concern. Mothers who regularly eat fish, or take lower grade fish oil during pregnancy, are more likely to have higher levels of mercury and other heavy metals when compared to mothers who do not eat fish [2].

Oily fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines contain omega-3 DHA and EPA fatty acids, which are important in foetal and child brain development [3]. Fatty fish however, are more likely to be contaminated with mercury, cadmium, and other heavy metals that are toxic to brain cells. Everybody is vulnerable to the toxic effects of ingesting heavy metals. Babies (before and after birth), and young children, are however, particularly vulnerable.

Some experts suggest limiting the amount of fish you eat to once or twice per week. But by limiting your intake, you may be compromising your baby’s supply of omega-3 fatty acids. So, you may ask, “what’s the alternative”? You can take fish oil supplements. But, what quality are they? In many parts of the world, the manufacture of nutrient and herbal medicinal products are not regulated. Do fish oil products contain heavy metals? If you are not sure, are you harming your baby?

What should you do?

There is a source of high quality DHA and EPA fatty acids that you can trust. The quality is guaranteed.

Procare contains high quality tuna oil that is rich in DHA, with a 4.5:1 ratio of DHA to EPA, similar to that present in nutrient-rich human breast milk. This oil is obtained from tuna that is fished from the South Pacific, ensuring a clean source. This tuna undergoes molecular distillation, a highly developed and rigorous purification process. This means that the tuna oil in Procare is pharmaceutical grade.

As an ultra refined fish oil, Procare’s tuna oil is the highest quality fish oil available. Oil processing is performed in certified pharmaceutical-level GMP (Good Manufacturing Process) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) manufacturing facilities, with complete quality control and assurance that is highly regulated through industry and government authorities.

But, Procare is not just about high grade fish oil. It is also a convenient source of vitamins and minerals that have been sourced from major European manufacturers including Roche and Cognis. These suppliers are GMP-accredited, ensuring quality pharmaceutical grade raw ingredients. Manufactured in Australia, the ingredients in Procare undergo three levels of testing in Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)-accredited facilities. Firstly, the raw materials are tested prior to acceptance from the suppliers. Secondly, “in process testing” is performed during product manufacture. And finally, testing is performed on the finished product itself. The product then undergoes further review prior to the release for sale. Each of these tests are performed in accordance with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) guidelines. The TGA is one of the strictest health regulatory authorities in the world.

In addition to fish oil, Procare includes iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iodine, folic acid, betacarotene, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D3, and E. Many of these nutrients are not easily acquired through a balanced diet. Folic acid is highly important as it reduces the risk of foetal neural tube defects such as spina bifida. The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 400mcg of folic acid for women daily, as this is considered sufficient to prevent most neural tube defects [4-6]. Also included are iron and iodine, essential for foetal neural and brain development, while calcium, magnesium and vitamin D3 are important for bone development and ongoing cell health. Potassium, zinc, betacarotene and vitamin E are also similarly important for cell patency, while B group and C vitamins are essential for foetal cell production, metabolism, and energy utilisation.

Procare is specially formulated for pregnant and breastfeeding women, providing a clean, safe, high quality nutrient source that can provide health benefits for women and their children, throughout their lives.

Procare. For what matters most: your family.

1. Helland IB, Smith L, Saarem K, Saugstad OD, Drevon CA: Maternal supplementation with very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation augments children's IQ at 4 years of age. Pediatrics 2003, 111(1):e39-44.
2. Oken E, Radesky JS, Wright RO, Bellinger DC, Amarasiriwardena CJ, Kleinman KP, Hu H, Gillman MW: Maternal fish intake during pregnancy, blood mercury levels, and child cognition at age 3 years in a US cohort. Am J Epidemiol 2008, 167(10):1171-1181.
3. Richardson AJ, Montgomery P: The Oxford-Durham study: a randomized, controlled trial of dietary supplementation with fatty acids in children with developmental coordination disorder. Pediatrics 2005, 115(5):1360-1366.
4. Folic acid and the prevention of neural tube defects. Report from an Expert Advisory Group. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.; 1992.
5. Recommendations for the use of folic acid to reduce the number of cases of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. MMWR Recomm Rep 1992, 41(RR-14):1-7.
6. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations for use of folic acid to reduce number of spina bifida cases and other neural tube defects. JAMA 1993, 269(10):1233, 1236-1238.