In a study conducted with 190 pregnant women in antenatal clinics within two hospitals in NSW, Australian pregnant women reported a lack of knowledge of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and they reported that their healthcare professionals did not provide them with adequate information on the importance of eating foods high in long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids during pregnancy.
19
In the same study,
books and magazines were reported to be the women’s main
source of information.
19
In part this may reflect shortcomings that
have been found in the materials made available to pregnant
women in Australia.
18,20
Studies also have reported pregnant
women’s ignorance of the availability of education materials (even
when provided to them) if health professionals did not act to
emphasise the nutrition messages within such materials.21