VOA常速英语2007-Study Says Pregnant Women Help Babies' Developme

By Carol Pearson
Washington
31 October 2007
 
A group of nutritionists and doctors recommend that pregnant and breast feeding women eat at least three servings of fish and other seafood¹ per week. The recommendations are the opposite of what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises because some ocean fish contain toxic² levels of mercury. This newest study once again raises the issue of whether the benefits of seafood to developing brains outweigh³ concern over mercury poisoning. More from VOA's Carol Pearson.

Fish has long been known as "brain food." But now there is a big debate in the United States about how much is good for you.

Seafood is a major source of omega-3 fatty acids, acids that experts say are essential for optimal⁴ fetal brain development.

But ocean fish, which contain the greatest amount of omega-3 acids, can be contaminated by mercury.Three years ago [March, 2004], the U.S. government warned pregnant and nursing women to cut back on the amount of seafood they eat.

Since then, more than half the pregnant and nursing women in the U.S. have followed the government's advice. Now, a group of top American scientists is advising these women to ignore the federal recommendations and to eat at least three servings of fish and seafood per week -- 340 grams -- to give their babies their best chance for brain development.

The National Fisheries Institute paid the group to do the research, but the researchers say they cannot ignore the results.

Dr. James McGregor, an obstetrician, was one of the researchers. He says, "I think the preponderance of the evidence now suggests that if you don't get ocean fish during pregnancy⁵, this is like a deficiency."

His colleague, Dr. Roger Newman, agrees, "We've learned that these are essential, this is an essential nutrient⁶ to fetal neurological development as well as infant neurological development."

And Dr. Ashley Roman says, "I am convinced that the benefits of eating fish in pregnancy outweigh any potential risks. In fact, I chose to eat two to three servings of fish a week during my pregnancy."

Earlier this year, another team of medical researchers analyzed⁷ extensive child development data. They concluded that children whose mothers ate the portions recommended by the U.S. government scored lower on intelligence tests, had poorer academic performance and had more behavioral and social problems than children whose mothers ate 340 grams or more of seafood while they were pregnant and nursing.

1 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

2 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

3 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。

4 optimal   

adj.最适宜的；最理想的；最令人满意的

参考例句：

• What is the optimal mix of private and public property rights in natural resources?私人和国家的自然资源产权的最适宜的组合是什么？
• Optimal path planning is a key link for the sailing contest.帆船最优行驶路径规划是帆船比赛取胜的关键环节。

5 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

6 nutrient   

adj.营养的，滋养的；n.营养物，营养品

参考例句：

• Magnesium is the nutrient element in plant growth.镁是植物生长的营养要素。
• The roots transmit moisture and nutrient to the trunk and branches.根将水分和养料输送到干和枝。

7 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》