For good or ill, everything mothers do during pregnancy affects the health of their babies. That includes taking daily supplements, according to a new study that found that children born to mothers who take fish-oil pills while pregnant may benefit from an early boost in immunity.
Researchers randomly assigned about 1,000 pregnant women to take daily supplements of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a major omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil, or a placebo. The babies' health was evaluated when they were 1 month, 3 months and 6 months old. At every stage, babies whose mothers took fish-oil pills were healthier than those...