Pregnant women may have another reason to take fish oil supplements during pregnancy. A study by Australian researchers found that toddlers of women who took the omega-3-rich supplements during pregnancy had better hand-eye coordination than toddlers whose mothers did not.

Further, babies that had high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their umbilical cord blood were also more likely to have good hand-eye coordination. This is just the latest research to support fish oil during pregnancy, a recommendation that is increasingly gaining acceptance, even in conventional medicine (plus, fish oil supplements are growing in popularity as concerns over mercury in fish have increased).

Omega-3 fats in fish oil have also found to be beneficial for:

• Depression risks during pregnancy
• Allergy prevention in newborns
• Fetal growth 
• Preventing premature deliveries