Omega-3 fatty acids sig-nificantly reduced or eliminated symptoms of major depression in children, according to results from a new study. Doctors from the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, noted that previous studies showed positive effects of omega-3s on adult depression, but that there were no studies of omega-3s in childhood depression. Researchers recruited 28 children with major depression between the ages of 6 and 12 and randomly assigned omega-3 fatty acids—an over-the-counter combination of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—or a placebo for 16 weeks.

Twenty of the children remained in the study for at least one month, and doctors measured symptoms of depression at the beginning of the study, and at two, four, eight, 12, and 16 weeks. The symptom tests included interviews with parents and teachers, reports by the children themselves, and evaluations by clinicians. According to results from the parent-teacher interviews, seven out of 10 of the children in the omega-3 group had 50% fewer symptoms, including four of the children who went into complete remission. There were no changes in parent-teacher depression scores for children who took the placebo.

The children who took omega-3s also reported significantly fewer symptoms themselves, as did clinicians who interviewed the children. Children who had taken the placebo did not report feeling any better, nor did clinicians find that symptoms improved in this group. The doctors also observed no relevant side effects, and the children reported no side effects.

Previous studies have shown that omega-3s reduced learning difficulties, behavioral problems, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Several studies have shown that those with depression have reduced blood flow to the brain, and doctors believe that omega-3s increase this blood flow.

Reference: American Journal of Psychiatry; 2006, Vol. 163, 1098-100.

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids improved reading, spelling, and behavior in school children with under-developed physical control (motor skills). Children with the condition, known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), usually are of average or above-average intelligence, but have clumsy or awkward movements. A child typically learns motor skills in early childhood, starting with "gross" movements, such as controlling the head and keeping balance, and progressing to "fine" movements, such as moving objects from hand to hand and grasping objects between thumb and finger, as in writing. In DCD, children do not fully control gross or fine movements, and have difficulty learning and adjusting psychologically and socially.

The study authors point out that low levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may hinder nerve development—as in dyslexia—and may contribute to psychiatric disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Because there are no known treatments for DCD, the scientists decided to examine the effects of the omega fatty acids.

The researchers gave 117 children with DCD, aged 5 to 12, an omega-3 and omega-6 supplement containing 80% fish oil (558 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and 174 mg docosahexaenoic acid) and 20% evening primrose oil per day, or a placebo. After three months, the children in the placebo group switched over to the omega-3 and omega-6 treatment, and all children continued for another three months.

Researchers found that motor skills did not improve, but the omega-3/omega-6 group had significant improvements in reading, spelling, and behavior over three months compared to placebo. The children in the placebo group had similar improvements after switching to the omega treatment, while the original omega group maintained or increased improvements. The scientists suggest further studies to measure motor skills more effectively, and to confirm the positive findings on behavior and academic progress.

Reference: Pediatrics; 2005, Vol. 115, No. 5, 1360-6.

Girls who took magnesium supplements had stronger bones, according to a new study. Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, recruited from community pediatrician offices 120 healthy Caucasian girls, aged 8 to 14, who filled out diet diaries. Doctors asked girls whose daily diets had less than 220 mg of magnesium to take 300 mg of magnesium oxide in two 150 mg capsules per day, or a placebo, for 12 months. At the end of the study, compared to placebo, girls who had taken magnesium had significantly increased bone mineral content (BMC) of the hip. Doctors also noted an increase—though not statistically significant—in BMC of the lower lumbar spine (vertebrae numbers one through four) and concluded that magnesium safely improved BMC of the hip without side effects.

Reference: The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism: December, 2006; Vol. 91, No. 12, 4866-72.