Contribution of fish to intakes of micronutrients important for fetal development: a dietary survey of pregnant women in the Republic of Seychelles

Autor: Thomas W. Clarkson, Gary J. Myers, M. Barbara E. Livingstone, Conrad F. Shamlaye, Emeir M. Duffy, Paula J. Robson, Philip W. Davidson, James J. Strain, Maxine P. Bonham, Julie M. W. Wallace
Rok vydání: 2009
Předmět:
Zdroj: Public Health Nutrition. 12:1312-1320
ISSN: 1475-2727
1368-9800
DOI: 10.1017/s136898000800387x
Popis: The nutritional status of women during pregnancy influences physiological outcomes in the child, including birth size(1,2), later risk of CVD and diabetes(3,4) and cognitive function(5). Despite some concerns about exposure to methylmercury(6), fish consumption during pregnancy provides an excellent source of dietary protein(7) as well as a number of micronutrients essential for fetal development(8,9) such as Fe, iodine, Zn, Se, choline and long-chain PUFA. Iodine and Fe deficiencies are two of the most common nutritional deficiencies in the world. An estimated 30% of the world’s population inhabits areas of iodine deficiency (10) while Fe deficiency anaemia affects up to 50% of pregnant women in developing(11) countries and up to 25% of children under the age of 3 years, with higher rates observed in developing countries(10). Correction of iodine deficiency in pregnancy can be achieved with supplementation and is associated with improved psychomotor test scores in infants(12). Fe supplementation in children can improve mental and motor scores in standardised developmental assessments(13). Maternal Zn status has been linked with infants’ early behaviour(14), with Zn supplementation during pregnancy associated with increased motor activity in the offspring(15). Se is also a vital component of the maternal diet with essential roles in fetal development(16). Se might influence fetal development directly by interacting with iodine in regulating thyroid function(17) and might also have a protective role in the prevention of methylmercury toxicity(18). Long-chain PUFA play an important structural role in neural tissue, especially the brain and retina(19). Fetal accretion is at its greatest in the third trimester of pregnancy (20) and supplementation with long-chain PUFA in pregnancy has been shown to improve cognitive function (21). Choline, a nutrient that can be synthesised de novo in the body, appears to be a conditionally essential dietary nutrient for optimal brain development both pre- and postnatally(22). Supplementation with choline in animal models has indicated a life-long enhancement in spatial memory(23) and cognitive function(24). The Republic of Seychelles is a small tropical archipelagic state in the Indian Ocean with one of the highest per capita rates of fish consumption in the world(25). The population consumes a traditional diet based around high fish consumption in conjunction with a high intake of fruit and vegetables. Such a diet would be expected to provide optimal nutrient intake with respect to those micronutrients of importance in infant development. Evidence has indicated that fish consumption has decreased by up to one-third over the last two decades as the Seychellois population adopts a more Western-style diet and life-style (26). This has led to increased concern that if these trends continue, micronutrient status may be compromised. However, no study to date has examined in detail dietary patterns during pregnancy in this population. The aims of the current project, therefore, were to characterise the diets of pregnant Seychellois women and to determine the role that fish play in promoting adequate intakes of nutrients important for fetal and neonatal development.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: