Search

Home > Portable Practical Pediatrics > Your Children Got Fish? (Pedcast)
Podcast: Portable Practical Pediatrics
Episode:

Your Children Got Fish? (Pedcast)
Category: Kids & family
Duration: 00:00:00
Publish Date: 2017-05-21 21:20:58
Description: Introduction Welcome to Portable Practical Pediatrics. One of the things that distinguishes the poor state of the average American child is their lack of consumption of fish. Americans just don't seem to eat much fish and when they do, they often prepare it in an unhealthy fashion. Recently, the EPA has put out some guidelines for pregnant  women and parents of young children to help bring fish safely into the diets of children. In today's pedcast, I thought we might take a few minutes to go over why all parents should make an attempt to get healthy fish into their children's diet and go over these new guidelines put out by the EPA. So, sit back, pop open a can of sardines, crank up the volume on that mp3 player, and listen to this important edition of Portable Practical Pediatrics. Musical Introduction Why is consumption of fish good for a child? Fish has been part of the traditional diet for humans for thousands of years. It provides a rich source of protein, iron and other minerals, and essential fats (also known as fatty acids) called omega-3s. Why is eating omega-3 oils important for your child you are wondering? Because their little brains are literally made of fat, and those omega-3 fats are a vital part of your child's brain structure. It turns out that your child's brain has the highest concentration of fat of any of their body organs and the more omega-3 fats a child has in their brain, the better their brain function is likely to be. In fact, what my parents used to tell me at the dinner table, "Paul, eat your fish, it will make you smarter" was actually correct!  It is a proven fact that many children who exhibit the behavior pattern we call ADHD, improve their brain function when they get a steady diet of fish oil. Improvements are seen in the child's memory, speed of processing, attention span, and ability to manipulate information with the consumption of this oil or simply by eating healthy fish regularly.  In other words, the fats in fish, the omega- threes, improves your child's cognitive ability. Who doesn't want that! Yes, these kind of fats are found in some nuts and plant based foods, but not nearly to the degree that are found in fish. I think it is safe to say that the consensus among nutrition experts is that pregnant mom's, older infants, and children should have a steady intake of the nutrients that are found in fish, especially during periods of rapid brain growth.   When and Which Fish Should Pregnant Mothers and their Children Eat? First the when question. Since we have learned that fish seems to be a wonder food for your child's brain, we want them to get the benefits of its power during their in-utero development, as well as, all through their childhoods. During the majority of my pediatric career, I have been advising parents to hold off feeding shellfish and fish to a baby's diet until sometime after one year of age for fear of creating a a food allergy in the child. Recent evidence however, has changed that thinking and now fish, shellfish, as well as other allergenic foods are recommended to be introduced in your child's diet as soon as they start eating solid foods, unless they have other immediate food allergies or severe eczema. That unless, is an important unless. Don't miss this point and just give highly allergenic foods to your child if they are likely to have food allergies.  Careful testing and introduction by an allergist is advised in these children.   So now to the which fish question. Unfortunately, your children are growing up in a world where exposure to the toxin mercury is a real concern, especially, for their healthy brain development. It turns out that fish that don't eat other fish have lower mercury levels than those that eat other fish, the so called predator fish. Generally, this translates into your children eating small fish but not large fish. That makes sense, doesn't it? You can see this association in the guide I have posted with the transcript o...
Total Play: 0