Parenting
Monday, November 30, 2009
Two Ways to Boost Your Baby's Brainpower
user
- by Fit, on Mon May 18, 2009 11:50am PDT
If you want your infant to score better on such developmental
milestones as sitting up, crawling or talking, there are two ways
to enhance the odds, according to a recent study:
First, while pregnant, eat at least three servings a week of
low-mercury fish, such as cod, wild salmon and pollock. Try
these recipes:
Salmon Cakes
with Tropical Salsa
Cod
Ranchero
Salmon Salad
with Grapefruit and Avocado
Salmon and
Portobello Mushroom Frittata
Second, breastfeed—the longer, the better. See our
Ultimate Guide to
Breastfeeding for information and advice.
Both practices raised babies’ scores on motor and cognitive
skills at ages 6 and 18 months, at least in part because of the
brain-friendly omega-3 fatty acids in fish and breast milk.
Read More:
How
to Breastfeed
Double-Duty Foods
Baby Steps
Related: salmon, pregnancy, omega-3, milestones, mercury, infant, fish, breastfeeding, baby
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Posted by HotCrossBuns Tue May 19, 2009 3:45pm PDT
What is with the obsession with "making" your kids smarter? Smart kids come from smart parents! If you want a smart kid, find a smart mate. Do you really think Einstein's mother worried about ingesting tons of "the right" fish, buying the latest "educational" toy, or channeling classical music into her womb? Do you really think he was forced into soccer at 3, showed flashcards at 2?
And sorry, but anyone who tells you breastfeeding will produce a smarter child is full of it. Studies that show this to be the case are almost always skewed in the favor of the group performing the study to begin with...which is almost always the die-hard breastfeeding advocates!!
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Posted by j,hg, Thu May 21, 2009 1:43pm PDT
Why be so negative hotcrossbuns?
What she is saying is true, depending on how well you monitor your diet. Omega 3 is essential for heart growth and studies do show those who consume the right amount of omega,salmon,or listed on the above, are able to have more brain power. So like I said? Why be so negative when parents are trying to do the right thing by eating healthy and giving out tips to other parents on trying to be healthy?
BTW, if it wasn't for Einstein's parents being persistant about his schooling, I'm sure he would not be as infamous as today, so all in all thank God for the parents who care enough to do what it takes for there children.
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Posted by HotCrossBuns Thu May 21, 2009 6:53pm PDT
BD: i'm wondering how much you know about Einstein's schooling, because the fact of the matter is he was a very poor student and did not take formal education seriously at all. At one point, as a young boy, he was removed from the formal classroom until he was a young adult.
Einstein's upbringing aside, no food will "make" someone smarter. Ingesting Omega-3's does do a body good in many areas besides just "brain power", however it is not a magical substance that will turn a child of mediocre intelligence (which is genetic) into a smarty pants. It does not raise an IQ past what genetic code has already predetermined. Will it help short term performance, and will it help support a healthy immune function? Absolutely. I am all for articles that promote educating parents on better ways to feed our children for lifelong health. However, to mislead parents into thinking that they are going to shove copious amounts of salmon and mackerel and the like into baby's diet and turn out with some genius in 5 years is inaccurate and absurd.
Breastfeeding has been around as long as humans have been on the planet (longer, really....) and there have been plenty of "less than intelligent" folks grace the planet with their presence. Using the breastfeeding = intelligent child argument is juts another flimsy attempt by the Breastapo at making formula feeders look inferior.
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Posted by HotCrossBuns Thu May 21, 2009 6:56pm PDT
ps. Einstein isn't considered "infamous". Eat more fish.
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Posted by HotCrossBuns Thu May 21, 2009 8:08pm PDT
And another FYI: A child's intelligence has little to do with his ability to sit up, crawl, walk or talk. Plenty of children hit these milestones at a later than normal stage (yep, even the breastfed ones), and grow up to be highly intelligent children and adults.
How many college/job applications ask at what age did the applicant achieve success in these areas?
And exactly how was this "recent study" conducted? Anyone can "conduct a study".
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Posted by spartan Sat May 23, 2009 7:06am PDT
I have 3 kids...all college grads; breastfed 2..hmmmm the most successful of the 3? the one I did'nt breastfeed. There's no validity to this "fact", it's the values you instill in them as a parent, bottom line. And Einstein? He was a lefty! I'm sure that'll prompt some very interesting comments!
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Posted by Kaye Sat May 23, 2009 7:09am PDT
This is a bunch of hooey.
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Posted by spartan Sat May 23, 2009 7:18am PDT
I would have to agree mom12x...and I forgot to mention that my most successful..and NOT breastfed son....is also a LEFTY! go for it moms...I'm sure you'll have a lot to say about this
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Posted by mxracer81 Sat May 23, 2009 7:23am PDT
i will have to agree with HotCrossBuns. when we had our baby i got sick and tired of everybody telling my wife she needs to breastfeed. all of my friends were breastfeed and you know what they were sick all of the time. my mother never breastfeed me and i have a great immune system, no allergies. I think those studies are 1 sided from the start.
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