A woman's chances of having a full-term pregnancy and a healthy baby, can be enhanced by eating fish.

Danish researchers in Copenhagen whose report was published in the British Medical Journal on February 21, suspect that fish, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, can increase the child's birth weight by prolonging the pregnancy and preventing premature births.

They compared the diets of 8,000 Danish women during pregnancy to determine if seafood had an impact on early births. "Low consumption of fish was a strong risk factor for pre-term delivery and low birth weight," said the head of the group.

Oily fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have also been found to be effective in fighting depression and in inhibiting the growth of prostate cancer cells.

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Khorsheed.com - Mar 2002