How Fish Oil Can Help With Your Child's Speech Difficulties

For children facing speech difficulties and delays, a daily dose of fish oil may have the potential to help improve their progress. However, before beginning a regimen of daily fish oil for your child, it's important know the science and theory behind fish oil supplementation. Here is what you need to know about using fish oil for your child's speech issues.

Understanding speech delays

For many children suffering from speech delays, it's unclear what exactly the problem underlying developmental delays stems from. However, it's often the case that speech difficulties are tied to conditions such as dyslexia, autism and apraxia. Some even see these disorders are seen as closely related, and children who suffer from one often suffer from another.

For children facing speech trouble, speech therapy is essential to correct speech issues. However, doctors are often supplementing speech therapy with fish oil, and it's considered a promising area of research.

How fish oil works

It is believed that the omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish oil can help increase signaling between the brain's nerve cells involved in auditory processing and language centers of the brain.

There have been a number of studies that have found fish oil to help with issues surrounding dyslexia and concentration problems, which are often tied to speech problems for children.  A number of studies have shown that fish oil can help with learning issues, including a study conducted by the University of Oxford which found that dyslexic children and children with learning disabilities had improved concentration, less anxiety and improved reading abilities due to fish oil.

The Cherab Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children overcome speech delays, also conducted a study using fish oil that found children with speech delays saw significant improvement when taking a fish oil supplement. Although only 19 children were involved, the foundation is pushing for larger studies to test the efficacy of fish oil for speech delays.

Why fish oil?

There are plenty of reasons for children to try fish oil or add more fish to their diet. For one, it's a natural option that doesn't involve medication that may have severe side effects. It's also cost effective compared to many medications, and comes with other benefits associated with consumption of fish and fish oil, such as a healthier heart.

It's possible that your child doesn't respond to fish oil, but with a doctor's supervision, usage of fish oil is generally considered safe, meaning there's little to lose for parents struggling to help their child overcome speech problems. Ultimately, combining fish oil with your child's speech therapy might just give you the results you're looking for, and give your child the boost he or she needs. For more information about speech therapy options, contact a company like Achieve Center.