DHA Fish Oil - Three Ways It Gives Your New Baby A Great Start

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that are essential in the human diet. People of all ages need them in order to maintain good health. Getting enough of two of these acids, namely, DHA and EPA, is particularly important for babies and children. All pregnant moms and children should be taking a good quality supplement to address their fatty acid needs during the pregnancy and while the baby is growing up. This is true for three main reasons.

Fish fats nourish the baby's brain in the critical first three months after birth. Biological research shows that in the first 90 days after the birth of a child, the amount of DHA in the baby's brain triples! So it is absolutely critical for new mothers to make sure that their new offspring are getting enough DHA in their diet . These fats are what give the baby its brain-food to develop into an intelligent, functioning child. Both breast-feeding moms and infants (whether they are breast-feeding or not) should be taking a fish oil supplement to nourish the baby as it develops.

Superior development scores. One Harvard study of over 25.000 pregnant Danish mothers was conducted to determine the effectiveness of DHA in improving infant and child development . The mothers in the study were carefully monitored for their amount of fish oil intake. The researchers found that the greater the fish oil intake by the pregnant mother, the greater her child's development scores were when the child was 18 months old. Children whose mothers breast-fed for a longer period also fared much better than other children.

DHA boosts the immune system. When an infant is born, it has an immature immune system. For the newborn baby to withstand the attacks of viruses and bacteria it will be subjected to after birth, its immune system must mature rapidly. One Danish study addressed this question. Researchers found that babies who were fed supplemental, fish-based omega-3 fatty acids had their immune systems develop much faster than those who did not take the supplement. Blood tests done on the babies showed that the babies taking the fish oil had a 40% more DHA and 450% more EPA in their blood compared to the other infants, giving them a powerful nutritional advantage. The fish oil babies also had a lower incidence of allergies.

In our modern society, with our high-stress lifestyles and little free time, when mothers often work up until the day before they give birth, the easiest, safest and most cost-effective way to achieve healthy DHA and EPA levels in your child's body is to take a good DHA supplement daily. For both the mother and the child.