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Pregnancy

Giving your baby a great IQ

25 replies

Genevieve123 · 15/05/2010 20:11

Thought I would share this with anybody who is interested.

13 years ago, I read in the Daily Mail that if you eat oily fish (take Omega-3) along with Evening Primrose supplements each day during the last three months of pregnancy, this would give the baby a higher IQ.

As I was at that stage in my second pregnancy, I tried this out. My daughter is now 13 and is on the gifted and talented register. She has got a brilliant memory, almost photographic when memorising pages of information and finds school really easy, having to make very little effort to achieve mostly A grades in everything.

I spent the last six weeks of my pregnancy with my parents with both my first born son and my daughter. My parents would put out lunch of tinned sardines and mackerel every day. I ate these and took my Evening Primrose oil - although only with my daughter as I had not read about the importance of taking the supplement with my son. Both my son and daughter are very bright but my daughter has the edge on my son.

When I had my third child, a boy, I forgot to eat fish and take Evening Primrose oil, as I just seemed to be eating on the run, with looking after two children whilst dad worked away. I can see the difference in my youngest as he finds it a struggle to keep up with everything.

Both my first son and daughter were speaking fluently by the age of two. As I was a new mum I never thought anything of it, but everybody else seemed to think they'd "been here before".

I mentioned to my two nieces that it might be a good idea to eat fish for the last three months of pregnancy or take a supplement, but they preferred to take the advice of their health professionals who advised no fish, no soft cheese and no soft eggs. I agreed with the cheese and eggs, but was shocked to hear they were not allowed to eat fish, as the last three months of pregnancy is when the brain is growing and needs that kind of nutrition. I know the belief is that the seas are polluted with mercury etc, but supplements should be advised otherwise (or organic Flax see oil which is naturally rich in Omega 3).

My first niece's daughter did not start speaking until she was four and is behind at school at the age of 7. My second niece's daughter is almost four and is just past the babbling stage, although both mum and dad are bright and grandparents fully involved.

So, maybe it was just luck, but I feel that eating the fish and taking the Evening Primrose oil for the last three months of pregnancy as suggested in the Daily Mail did make a difference to my daughter's IQ.

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TotalChaos · 15/05/2010 20:18

what a piece of work you are, feeling all smug that your kids don't have language delay because you took omega supplements. btw IQ can be tested separately from language skills, your niece's kids may well have sky high IQs....

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Pregnancy

Giving your baby a great IQ

Don't eat marlin, shark or swordfish. These can contain high levels of mercury, which can damage your baby's developing nervous system.

Don't eat raw shellfish, as they can contain bacteria and viruses that can cause food poisoning.