The one organ that has the greatest demand for growth during fetal development and early childhood is the brain.  In the first trimester of pregnancy, the fetal brain is adding 250,000 new brain cells per minute.  During the first two years of life after birth, the brain doubles in size.  However, the brain is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and if those fatty acids are not available in sufficient supply during fetal development and early childhood, brain development will be compromised.  In this section the research data that supports the critical need for adequate levels of omega-3 fatty acids in pregnancy and early childhood development will be presented.