Q: Is it true that fish oils can be helpful for my unborn baby? If so, what makes them beneficial? Should I eat fish while I'm pregnant to increase the fish oils in my diet?

A. Fish oils can be very good for your unborn baby, and they can also have benefits after your baby is born. The oils found in fish, the omega-3 fats DHA and EPA, are known as essential fats. This means that they have to be ingested in order for you or your baby to get a sufficient amount of them. A deficiency of these special fats, which have many functions in the human body, can have wide-ranging adverse effects on health. During pregnancy, these fats are important for your baby's nerve and visual development. After your child is born, they play an important role in his or her budding immune system.

A study published last month in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, Fetal and Neonatal Edition, reported, "Maternal fish oil supplementation during pregnancy is safe for the fetus and infant, and may have potentially beneficial effects on the child's eye and hand coordination."

The pregnant mothers in the study ingested fish oils containing 2.2 grams of DHA and 1.2 grams of EPA, beginning at 20 weeks gestation and continuing until delivery.

Another study, published in April 2007 in The Journal of Nutrition, reported that fish oil supplementation in infants between 9 and 12 months old accelerates the maturation of the immune system, and may be helpful in decreasing the development of allergic disorders. The infants were given 381 milligrams of DHA and 571 milligrams of EPA each day of the study.

Fish oils may even make your child smarter. A 2007 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that when pregnant mothers ingested DHA and EPA from Week 24 of gestation until delivery, their babies had better problem-solving skills at nine months of age than babies born to mothers who didn't take DHA and EPA supplements.

Although eating fish would be an obvious good source of fish oils, you should refrain from eating any fish while pregnant because, as the FDA has warned, virtually all seafood contains some mercury. This heavy metal is toxic to your body as well as to your baby's developing nervous system.

To get adequate amounts of fish oils before, during, or after pregnancy, it is recommended that you consume high-quality fish oil supplements. The best products are those that have the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certification on the label, such as the fish oil made by Coromega.

Laurie Steelsmith is a naturopathic physician and licensed acupuncturist in Honolulu, as well as author of the new book Natural Choices for Women's Health, published by Random House. Reach her and read her past columns at www.DrSteelsmith.com. This column is for information only. Consult your health provider for medical advice.