Dr Richardson says of BioCare OmegaBerry: If you really want to match the type of dose used on many of the big trials, this is an excellent product but again as it is a liquid, be careful of how you store it. One 10ml spoon provides 875mg EPA/DHA so you could actually give your child a little less on the spoon. It is flavoured with fruit purees.

Children's VERDICT: 5/5

Nutritional Information per Daily Intake (approx. 10ml)

Fish Oil Concentrate 2.55g, providing:

500mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

375mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Wild Berry Concentrate 1g

(providing 30mg actual anthocyanidins from blackcurrant, elderberry, blueberry, chokeberry & apple)

Vitamin C 50mg (83.3% EC RDA)

Natural Mixed Tocopherols 25mg (250% EC RDA)

Ingredients:

Fish Oil Concentrate 1, Concentrated Pineapple Juice, Corn Starch, Wager, Fructose, Wild Berry Concentrate (Blackcurrant, Elderberry, Blueberry, Chokeberry & Apple), Concentrated Orange Juice, Mango Puree, Banana Puree, Alginate, Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid), Natural Pineapple Flavour, Prebiotic Acacia gum, Natural Vanilla Flavour, Natural Mixed Tocopherols2, Sunflower Oil, Potassium Sorbate.

Research proves fish oil tablets can boost your child's brainpower - but how do you persuade fussy youngsters to take them? Here, an expert rates the top brands...and our junior panel give their taste verdict:

Fish oils are the new health 'wonder' food - not a week goes by, it seems, without yet more research confirming how good they are for you.

Not only do they help children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, ADHD and dyspraxia, and adults with conditions as schizophrenia and depression, fish oils protect the heart and reduce the pain of arthritis.

Then last week a study, funded by Boots, found that regular doses of fish oils dramatically boosted young children's performance at school. Nearly three quarters of the youngsters - who were of mixed academic ability - showed improvements in numeracy, reading and writing after taking fish oil supplements for nine months.

"With no placebo group, we don't know what progress they would have have made anyway" says Dr Alex Richardson, a Senior Research Fellow from Oxford University. "But these findings are in line with other evidence that fish oils really can improve behaviour and learning in many children."

It is the Omega-3 fatty acids - specifically EPA and DHA - they contain that make fish oils so beneficial. Unfortunately the body can't make Omega-3s; the best source is oily fish. But the problem, as most parents know, is that children don't like it, so Omega-3 supplements are becoming a popular option.

Traditional cod liver oil is not particularly rich in EPA and DHA; it also contains the fat-soluble vitamins A and D, that can be toxic in excess, so high doses are not advisable in the long-term.

Some fish oil supplements also contain these vitamins so ask your GP before attempting to increase dosage. There is no clear rule about how much EPA and DHA your child should take. "About 450-500mg per day combined EPA/DHA is a reasonable target for both adults and children" says Dr Richardson.

"Some may need even more to see real benefits - but I wouldn't recommend more than 1,000mg without expert supervision." There should be no serious danger of your child over-dosing on fish oils, but an excess can cause a stomach upset, and some people may be allergic to them, so discuss any worries with your doctor.

Taste is a key factor, you need to choose a supplement that is palatable. "Many of the supplements contain artificial sweeteners, colourings and flavourings which should not be necessary" says Dr Richardson, "Xylitol and mannitol are two of the better sweeteners as they are good for the teeth."