You may have seen DHA prenatal vitamins alongside the standard prenatal vitamin and wondered what DHA is. DHA is a supplement you can take any time, including during pregnancy and breastfeeding. By taking DHA prenatal vitamins, you are providing your baby and yourself with healthy fats that are essential for brain health and function. DHA may also benefit the central nervous system and eyesight. You and your baby will both benefit from DHA prenatal vitamins, as well as DHA derived from your diet.
Purpose
DHA prenatal vitamins help you and your baby grow and develop properly. DHA is short for docosahexaenoic acid, which is a fatty acid found in fish oil. When you eat healthy fats like omega-3s, which are alpha linoleic essential fatty acids, you are giving your body the type of fat it needs to create DHA.
Pregnant Women
When you take DHA prenatal vitamins, your brain benefits from the healthy fats so it can function better. AskDrSears.com reports that DHA may also lower the incidence of central nervous system degenerative disorders like multiple sclerosis. According to BabyCenter.com, women who took DHA prenatal vitamins during pregnancy recovered from pregnancy quicker. These women also were less likely to experience postpartum depression or mood swings.
Developing Baby
When you take DHA prenatal vitamins as your baby is developing, she will develop a healthy central nervous system, strong eyesight and more brain cells. Taking DHA prenatal vitamins while pregnant and breastfeeding helps your baby's developing brain during the time when it is growing at its fastest rate. You baby's brain grows most quickly when in the womb and triples in size from birth to 1 year. AskDrSears.com states that DHA deficiency may lead to slowed brain development and diminished visual acuity.
Dosage
If you decide to take DHA prenatal vitamins, you can safely take 200 to 300 mg of DHA each day, whether pregnant or breastfeeding. You will also find DHA occurring naturally in salmon, tuna, trout and sardines. Since mercury contamination of fish is a concern, consider safer alternatives like flounder, tilapia, shrimp, scallops, calamari and pollack. Vegetarians will also find DHA derived from algae, if they do not wish to consume DHA derived from fish.
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