Many parents concerned about the side effects of conventional medications are turning to fish oil first, to treat not just mood disorders but also a variety of learning and developmental problems, including autism, dyslexia and, most notably,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or A.D.H.D.
Fish oil contains long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; most important are the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, believed to play a central role in the development of the infant brain and nervous system, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA. Studies have consistently found that children with A.D.H.D. have low blood levels of DHA, which is in short supply in the Western diet. A small number of recent clinical trials have reported improvements in children’s learning and behavioral problems after fish oil therapy.
Some health care practitioners say fish oil therapy can improve children’s attention and focus, and studies of adults have found it may alleviate depression. Many doctors who prescribe it use it as just one component of a comprehensive treatment program, and many prescribe fish oil in addition to medication, not instead of it.
Fish oil along with nutritional supplements, vitamins and various educational and behavioral interventions, can help children function well without medication. But, these are generally not the kids who have severe behavioral difficulties or incredible hyperactivity.
STUDIES on fish oil therapy have had mixed results. A clinical trial in Australia, published last year in The Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, found improvements in parents’ ratings of their children’s hyperactivity and
inattention, but no difference in teachers’ assessments. Meanwhile, the Oxford-Durham study in Britain, published in the journal Pediatrics in 2005, reported remarkable improvements in reading and spelling among children treated with omega-3 fatty acids.
“The therapy improved their inattention, in particular, and seemed to allow them to concentrate and stay on task better,” said Paul Montgomery, an author of the Oxford-Durham study. However, in an earlier 2001 clinical trial carried out at the Mayo Clinic, involving children formally diagnosed with A.D.H.D., saw no decrease in symptoms after four months of therapy.
Most health care providers suggest 1,000 milligrams of combined DHA and EPA daily for a child, and up to 2,000 milligrams for an adult, but they say they adjust the amounts depending on weight. Some experts recommend higher doses to get the full therapeutic effect.
People on Aspirin or Warfarin should consult their physician as fish oil is a blood thinner.
