Ask Dr Miriam

QWhen my granddaughter comes to stay I don’t really know the best food to give her. My husband says fish. Is he right?

AIt’s a difficult one because the last thing you want is your granddaughter going head to head with you at mealtimes.

A good strategy would be to talk to her mum and ask for a list of your granddaughter’s favourites and get them in. Make sure you ask which treats she’s allowed to have, e.g. ice cream.

Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, US, found children who ate fish at least once a week had fewer sleep disturbances. They think this may account for the 4.8-point gap in IQ test scores between weekly fish eaters and those who seldom tuck in. Lead researcher, professor Adrian Raine, says: “If fish improves sleep, great. If it also helps to improve cognitive performance, as we’ve seen in our research, even better. It’s a double hit.” Visit nhs.uk for some guidelines on how much fish is actually safe for children to eat per week.