<p>Omega-3 fatty acids commonly found in marine and plant oils could be a boon for undersized babies in preventing heart attack or strokes when they grow into adults.<br /><br /></p>.<p>This suggests that the use of Omega supplements for the first five years of a child’s life may prevent the development of such life-threatening conditions. <br /><br />“People who were small at birth have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Michael Skilton of the University of Sydney’s Boden Institute of Obesity, who led a study on the subject, the journal Paediatrics reports. <br /><br />The definition of small at birth applies to the lowest 10 percent of birth weights of all babies, according to a University of Sydney statement. <br /><br />Participants belonged to one of two groups of 616 children. The omega-3 group received a 500 mg daily fish oil supplement from the start of bottle-feeding or six months of age until five years of age. They were also supplied with canola-based margarines and cooking oil for the same period. <br /><br />The control group (normal babies) received a 500 mg daily sunflower oil supplement from the start of bottle-feeding until five years of age. They were supplied with Omega-6 fatty acid-rich margarines and cooking oil. <br /><br />At eight years of age these children were tested for the presence of arterial wall thickening, an indicator of early atherosclerosis associated with later cardiovascular disease. <br /><br />The children receiving the sunflower supplement had thicker arterial walls if they were small at birth. This was prevented in the children receiving the Omega-3 supplement. <br /><br />“The results of the paper suggest that babies born small may benefit from a daily Omega-3 supplement, however further studies are required to confirm this,” concluded Skilton. <br /><br /></p>
<p>Omega-3 fatty acids commonly found in marine and plant oils could be a boon for undersized babies in preventing heart attack or strokes when they grow into adults.<br /><br /></p>.<p>This suggests that the use of Omega supplements for the first five years of a child’s life may prevent the development of such life-threatening conditions. <br /><br />“People who were small at birth have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Michael Skilton of the University of Sydney’s Boden Institute of Obesity, who led a study on the subject, the journal Paediatrics reports. <br /><br />The definition of small at birth applies to the lowest 10 percent of birth weights of all babies, according to a University of Sydney statement. <br /><br />Participants belonged to one of two groups of 616 children. The omega-3 group received a 500 mg daily fish oil supplement from the start of bottle-feeding or six months of age until five years of age. They were also supplied with canola-based margarines and cooking oil for the same period. <br /><br />The control group (normal babies) received a 500 mg daily sunflower oil supplement from the start of bottle-feeding until five years of age. They were supplied with Omega-6 fatty acid-rich margarines and cooking oil. <br /><br />At eight years of age these children were tested for the presence of arterial wall thickening, an indicator of early atherosclerosis associated with later cardiovascular disease. <br /><br />The children receiving the sunflower supplement had thicker arterial walls if they were small at birth. This was prevented in the children receiving the Omega-3 supplement. <br /><br />“The results of the paper suggest that babies born small may benefit from a daily Omega-3 supplement, however further studies are required to confirm this,” concluded Skilton. <br /><br /></p>