I’m looking for information on supplementing children’s diets with Omega 3’s. I was wondering if anyone has any information on the subject or references that I can check into? It’s for a 2 yr old and he has specific needs that I think the Omega 3’s might be beneficial for. Our pediatrician hasn’t been much help thus far.
I think it’s a great idea.
I can’t point to anything, but I recall hearing that omega-3’s can have a dramatic effect on mental development and capability in children.
Just be careful and ask the physician first. O’3s thin the blood as well and well kids are MUCH smaller then adults. Other then that one or two tabs prob a great addition
Phill
[quote]ramron wrote:
I’m looking for information on supplementing children’s diets with Omega 3’s. I was wondering if anyone has any information on the subject or references that I can check into? It’s for a 2 yr old and
he has specific needs that I think the Omega 3’s might be beneficial for. Our pediatrician hasn’t been much help thus far.
[/quote]
Could you be more cryptic so we could help you less.
AlexH
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed
Go to pub med and type omega 3 child or omega 3 condition you are worried about
I believe the studies on fish oil for children show positive affects when the mother takes it during pregnancy on IQ and coordination and also some studies with weaker evidence for children taking it with certain behavioral problems.
There are probably other general benefits just as in adults and no known side affects in common dosing. Yes, you should discuss this with the pediatrician, especially if you are considering going high dose fish oil for a certain condition. Most doctors will tell you just to have oily fish once or twice a week.
Here is a line of fish oil for children. I have thought about getting this for my child, but I have not done so yet. No issues for my child, I just cannot get my wife to eat more fish.
http://www.carlsonlabs.com/product_family.phtml?categid=03a9
AlexH is actually very bright as are many others on this site. Are you worried about autism, ADDHD or a particular conditon? If you give more detailed information you may be offered more detailed responses.
Thanks for the feedback, it’s PDD NOS.
[quote]icecold wrote:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed
Go to pub med and type omega 3 child or omega 3 condition you are worried about
Thanks for the link, it’s helped a great deal.
A cursory look at the research shows that the field of omega-3 metabolism and supplementation and PDDs is still quite in its infancy.
Pubmed with keyworkds : pervasive developmental disorder omega-3 yeilds few but interesting articles.
Remember that PDD represent a small field of research in which nutritional approaches reprensent an even tinier fraction. It is therefore very difficult for an honest physician to recommend something with little to no research behind it and offering as a possible solution. Physicians don’t like to create false hope in parents, as I have seen first the devastating effects it can have.
At this point the evidence is minimal, but the concept is considered to be a promising prosect in the nutritional support/treatment of PDDs.
Of course, dosing should be appropriate for a small child and should be consistent with nutritional guidelines.
Considering the lack of available, effective treatments for PDDs, and the relative safety of n-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA, supplementaiton can be considered as a worthwhile approach.
Good luck with this very difficult situation.
AlexH.
DHA is actually included in some infant formulas. Omega 3’s are important for proper mental function and I recently read in an article that they can be beneficial to children with ADHD to help the signals go to their brain properly. I just ordered a chewable fish oil supplement for my 4 year old by Carlson.
It is an orange flavored gummy vitamin with 100mg of DHA and 50mg of EPA. I’m going to start giving him 2 a day as his diet is pretty deficient in Omega 3’s. I also bought a peanut butter that is fortified with 1000mg of omega 3’s from flax. Next I’ll have him on BCAA’s, micellar casein, and creatine. maybe I should wait 10 more years for that though. lol
[quote]ramron wrote:
icecold wrote:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed
Go to pub med and type omega 3 child or omega 3 condition you are worried about
Thanks for the link, it’s helped a great deal.
[/quote]
Glad the information helped
You may want to contact the person below if you want more information from someone specializing in the area.
Ms. Patrick has over 10 years’ experience providing services for children with autism and Asperger’s syndrome. She is available for free consultation regarding EFA supplementation for children with communication difficulties at www.nordicnaturals.com/.direct/asklouise.asp
Thank you very much for the help, all of you. It was about six months ago that we began to suspect something was wrong and we immediately started asking questions of our doctor.
Prior to his change in demeanor he was eating very well, a variety of foods (fruits and vegetables), and then it just stopped. His appetite changed and he wanted to go back to nursing. In the meantime we had another boy, which may be why he wanted to nurse again (seeing the other). Since the diagnosis we have done tons of research, changed many things, and have noticed a tremendous improvement. There still is no speech which is a huge concern. Physically he is well advanced, has great motor skills, and exhibits excellent coordination.
After continuing to look at supplementation I decided to ask the question on this site. Thanks again for the input.
Our daughter is in a somewhat similar situation. She is 6 but has the vocabulary of a 3 yr old. She’s been diagnosed w/ apraxia and hypotonia, and our school system recently classified her as mildly mentally disabled.
I’ve never heard of using fish oil supplements as a possible mental benefit until now. This may be something we will try out as well.