DHA, more formally known as docosahexaenoic acid, is a member of the omega-3 fatty acid family. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), DHA is essential for prenatal development of the brain and nervous system. While DHA can be found naturally in seaweed and cold water fatty fish, the UMMC notes that most Westerners do not get enough of these foods. As a result, turning to supplements for DHA may be necessary.
PreNexa
A new entrant in the market, PreNexa by Upsher-Smith Laboratories contains DHA. According to the PreNexa website, the vitamin will be an all vegetarian product using only plant based DHA, sourced from microalgaes. In addition to DHA, the vitamin also contains folic acid, B vitamins and stool softeners to aid with digestion during pregnancy.
DuetDHA
Another prescription prenatal vitamin that contains DHA is DuetDHA. DuetDHA contains 430 mg of omega-3 fatty acids to fulfill its DHA requirements and uses fish oil as the source for its DHA. The manufacturer notes that their fish oil is purified to ensure that it contains no harmful mercury, as reported on the DuetDHA website. The vitamin supplement also contains iron and folic acid. For mothers with a gluten sensitivity, DuetDHA may be a good choice as it is a gluten-free prenatal vitamin.
Promise DHA
Manufactured by Biotegrity Corporation, Promise DHA is a supplemental capsule designed to go along with the main Promise Prenatal line of vitamins, though it can be bought separately. The vitamin contains 275 mg of DHA and it is intended to be taken daily both before and throughout the pregnancy to ensure that the mother has sufficient DHA levels for healthy fetal development. The fatty acid oil in Promise DHA capsules is purified through molecular distillation, which the manufacturer notes is the only method for achieving pharmaceutical grade DHA.
Maxi Pre-Natal Veg Caps
The Maxi Pre-Natal Veg Caps are manufactured and sold by Country Life. The supplement is designed to contain 1,000 micrograms of folic acid in addition to 100 mg of DHA, according to the manufacturer's site. The DHA for this supplement is not sourced from fish, allowing the supplement to be completely vegetarian. Maxi-Pre-Natal Veg Caps have also been certified as a kosher prenatal vitamin.
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