Recommended Doses Of Fish Oil For Kids

The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil may help boost your child's ability to learn and decrease her risk of disorders such as dyspraxia, developmental coordination disorder, asthma or attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Unfortunately, fish oil may also cause your child health problems if she consumes too much. Consult your doctor to determine the safety of fish oil supplements for your child.

Guidelines

The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that no dosage guidelines are established for fish oil supplements in children under age 18. Only give a fish oil supplement to your child under the supervision and direction of her physician. If your child's physician orders a fish oil supplement, dosing relies on the amount of EPA and DHA in the supplement, not on the amount of fish oil in the supplement. For every five grams of fish oil consumed, your child gets between 170 mg and 560 mg of EPA and between 72 mg and 310 mg of DHA.

Research Dosages

The dosages used in research varied based on the condition studied. MedlinePlus, a Web service provided by the National Institutes of Health, reports studies on childhood asthma relied on doses of fish oil to provide 7.3 mg to 11.5 mg of DHS and 17 mg to 26.8 mg of EPA; studies on attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder relied a 400 mg dose of fish oil; and studies on developmental coordination disorder used fish oil to provide 174 mg of DHA and 558 mg of EPA, given in three equally divided doses.

Expert Insight

Alex Richardson, a senior research fellow in the department of physiology, anatomy and genetics at the University of Oxford, states that "450 to 500 mg per day of a combination of EPA and DHA is a reasonable dose for children and adults alike." Richardson also notes that the dosage your child needs will vary based on your child's size and medical concerns, so consult your child's pediatrician for specific brand and dosage recommendations.

Warnings

Not all children can take fish oils supplements. If your child has sensitivity to fish or fish oils, has a bleeding disorder or takes an anti-coagulant or anti-platelet medication, do not give her a fish oil supplement because fish oil may cause bleeding. Common side effects of fish oil supplements include fishy aftertaste, upset stomach, diarrhea, burping or rash. Decrease the incidence of these side effects by giving the fish oil supplement to your child with a meal or by giving the supplement frozen. Do not give your child more fish oil than recommended by your child's pediatrician, and keep the fish oil supplement out of your child's reach.