Omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases in babies born small, according to new research.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, supplied 616 children from six months until the age of five with supplements either of sunflower oil or omega-3.

Researchers found that those who received omega-3 did not develop arterial wall thickening, an indicator of early atherosclerosis linked with cardiovascular disease later in life, when tested at the age of 8.