In addition to caring for your dental health, a far more powerful and important factor for prevention of premature birth is to ensure you are taking enough high-quality omega-3 fish oil, which contains DHA.

DHA is responsible for:

• Preventing the vast majority of premature deliveries
• Maximizing intelligence
• Optimizing vision in infants

Nearly all women would benefit from adding fish oil to their diets, before and during their pregnancies, as most are deficient in omega-3. Surely there are some women who are regularly eating fish and therefore already have enough DHA in their systems, however fish poses a threat to the developing baby.

Women who eat fish will likely have a major increase in mercury in their system, which has been well documented to cause a variety of neurological birth defects. Even the conservative FDA warns that women should avoid most fish during pregnancy.

Taking fish oil during pregnancy, and avoiding fish, is a far more useful exercise than gulping down synthetic prenatal vitamin pills. The primary benefit of prenatal vitamins is the folic acid, which prevents neural tube defects. However, if you consume plenty of vegetables this folic acid supplement is unnecessary.

It is also important to realize that prenatal vitamin supplements do not contain a microgram of DHA.

So give your future baby a fighting chance--make sure you and the people you care about are taking fish oil when they are pregnant.

Always remember omega-3 fats are essential to your, and your children's, health. The best source for omega-3 is fish oil and cod liver oil, as, unlike other sources such as walnuts or flax seeds, it is high in two fatty acids crucial to human health, DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are pivotal in preventing heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. The human brain is also highly dependent on DHA--low DHA levels have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's.

When choosing your fish oil or cod liver oil, it is important to remember that not all brands are the same. In my research--and in my clinical experience with my patients--I have found that:

1. The liquid form is superior to capsules
2. Certain brands definitely seem inferior to others
3. The Carlson's brand of fish oil/cod liver oil is of an exceptional quality and purity.

It is likely not the only brand in the world of such high quality, but up to this point it is the only one of such quality that I can recommend, so I now offer the Carlson's fish oil and cod liver oil on Mercola.com; you can also check your local health food store to see if they carry it.

As for fish itself, patients consuming nearly every type of fish these days are showing high levels of mercury in their systems. In short--and sadly, as it would otherwise be one of the healthiest meats on the planet--I now advise against consuming any fish from any source, including fresh water, farm-raised or ocean, because most are contaminated with mercury. If you do consume fish, you should be certain the provider can demonstrate that the fish are free of detectable levels of mercury and other toxins (Carlson's fish oil/cod liver oil has been entirely purified so you don't have to worry about these toxins.)

So what is the difference between fish oil and cod liver oil? In short, fish oil should be consumed in warm weather months and warm climates, while cod liver oil should be consumed in cool weather months and cool climates. Cod liver oil is high in vitamin D (and vitamin A); those in cool weather climates do not generally get enough vitamin D. However, in warm weather, their vitamin D is usually sufficient, as sunshine is one of the primary methods of obtaining this vitamin; if you consume too much vitamin D in these warm weather months, you do risk overdosing.

A reasonable dose for both fish oil and cod liver oil is one teaspoon for every 50 pounds of body weight daily.

Related Articles:

Premature Birth Prevention

Pregnant Women May Not Be Getting Enough Omega-3

Prenatal Supplements Probably Unnecessary

Gum Disease Ups Risk of Premature Birth

How You Can Avoid Having a Premature Baby

Progesterone Reduces Premature Births