[Sabra]

RE: Late Childbearing Intensifies Problem of Premature Births

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Jane Brody wrote an excellent summary documenting the enormous impact that premature births are in our society.

It is most unfortunate that she has provided the reader with a pessimistic conclusion on a solution to this problem as she states: "Despite advances in reproductive medicine, the old problem of premature birth has remained essentially unsolved."

Ms. Brody has failed to do her homework on this important topic.

Last year the British Medical Journal (February 23, 2002;324:447-450) published a study that provided a major inexpensive non-toxic answer for this devastating problem that has been virtually ignored by the medical world as it is not high tech.

The study of nearly 9,000 pregnant women in Denmark found that those who said they currently ate no fish were around three times more likely than those who ate the most to have a premature delivery.

The United States has a higher percentage of physicians, including those trained to treat premature newborns, than any other country. The United States has about six neonatologists for every 10,000 live births, compared with 3.7 in Australia, 3.3 in Canada and 2.7 in the UK. Similarly, the United States has more intensive care beds than other nations (Pediatrics June 2002;109:1036-1043).

Directing more health care dollars to prenatal care and reproductive services has not been the answer for this problem. The alternative solution is obvious, American women are highly deficient in the omega-3 fats that are prevalent in fish. Incorporating larger amounts of these essential fats would go a long way toward reducing the pain and suffering that result from this highly preventable problem.

However, a major JAMA study (April 2, 2003;289:1667-1674) shows, the major source of mercury in Americans is fish. Nearly all fish are contaminated with mercury as a result of over half of the U.S. electrical production coming from burning coal that deposits in the oceans and bioaccumulates in fish.

Fortunately, there are many sources of fish oil available that have been molecularly distilled and are free of mercury and PCBs and can provide the important omega-3 fats that are the key to preventing so much unnecessary grief and suffering in this country.


Dr. Mercola