Omega-3 Levels in Prenatal Supplements

Omega-3 Levels in Prenatal Supplements

American Journal of Perinatology
December, 2024; Epub

Mary J. Scourboutakos, MD, PhD; Elenee H. Harper; Michael T. Kopec, MD; Lauren Rose, BA, BASc, RD; Milena Forte, MD, CCFP, FCFP: from Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old Dominion University, Virginia; Queen’s University, Canada; University of Toronto, Canada.

The objective of this study aimed to systematically document the reported omega-3 levels in commercially available prenatal supplements in the United States and Canada and compare these levels to recommended intakes in pregnancy.

DHA = docosahexaenoic acid EPA = eicosapentaenoic acid

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1) “Ninety to ninety-five percent of pregnant and lactating women in North America consume inadequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids (including docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] and eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]).” [Key Point]

2) A Cochrane review of 26 randomized controlled trials demonstrated that supplemental intakes of omega-3 fatty acids of about 1,000 mg of EPA plus DHA per day can significantly decrease risk of preterm birth.

• “This is important because worldwide rates of preterm birth are increasing with more than 1 in 10 babies born before 37 weeks.”

3) “New guidelines recommend that all women of childbearing age should consume 250 mg/d of DHA+EPA.”

• “When intakes are sufficient at baseline, an additional 100 to 200 mg/d of DHA should be consumed during pregnancy.”

4) “Pregnant women with low omega-3 intakes should consume 600 to 1,000mg of DHA+EPA, beginning no later than 20 weeks gestation.”

5) “While dietary sources provide some omega-3s, only certain varieties of fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and anchovies) contain EPA and DHA.”

• Many pregnant women avoid fish because of concerns about methylmercury.
• “Prenatal supplements are an important alternative source of omega-3 fatty acids for pregnant women.” [Important]
  • “Only 55% of prenatal supplements contain omega-3s, at varying doses.” [Important]

6) In this study, a total of 50 U.S. products and 18 Canadian products were assessed.

• Only 16% of products in the U.S. and 28% of products in Canada contained the dose of omega-3s recommended for pregnant women with insufficient intakes. [Important]
• “Only a minority (16–28%) of products provided the amount of omega-3s recommended for women with inadequate intakes.”
• “This is important because most pregnant women (90–95%) have low omega-3 intakes and would benefit from omega-3 supplementation beyond that provided by most prenatal supplements to reduce their risk for preterm birth.” [Key Point]

7) Key Points from Authors:

• “Omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent preterm birth.”
• “New guidelines recommend increased intakes of omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy.”
• “Omega-3 levels in prenatal supplements may or may not be consistent with recommended intake levels.”

COMMENTS FROM DAN MURPHY:

In 2011, the magazine Time published this article:

Health & Science
Time
August 15, 2011
Alice Park

Baby’s First Pill?

Fish Oil in Pregnancy Helps Infant Health

“For good or ill, everything mothers do during pregnancy affects the health of their babies. That includes taking daily supplements, according to a new study that found that children born to mothers who take fish-oil pills while pregnant may benefit from an early boost in immunity.”

“Researchers randomly assigned about 1,000 pregnant women to take daily supplements of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a major omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil, or a placebo. The babies’ health was evaluated when they were 1 month, 3 months and 6 months old. At every stage, babies whose mothers took fish-oil pills were healthier than those whose mothers didn’t.”

“At 1 month, they were 24% less likely to have cold symptoms such as coughing, nasal congestion and runny noses. At 3 months, they were 14% less likely to be sick.”

“How does prenatal fish oil affect a baby’s ability to fight off sniffles? A developing fetus’s immune system relies on cues from its environment— in this case, the womb—to start building the cellular defense system that recognizes and kills bacteria and viruses. Although the mechanism is unclear, the DHA seems to give the fetus a head start.”

“In the study, expectant mothers got 400 mg of DHA daily, starting at 18 to 22 weeks, which is significantly more than the 200 mg that the average American woman consumes in a day.”

…..

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is critically important for the formation of synapses in the brain of fetuses, newborns, and children. As such, children still benefit from a supplemental omega-3 formula that has a higher level of DHA. We use the Nutri-West eye-dropper brand ((800) 443-3333): Complete Children’s DHA/EPA Liquid:

A serving size is 20 drops, and that contains 40 mg EPA and 85 mg DHA, with 12 mg alpha linolenic acid from flaxseed oil.

We have also reviewed these related articles:

Article Review 37-07:
Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Women
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy

Article Review 42-09:
Dietary Omega 3 Fatty Acids and the Developing Brain
Brain Research

Article Review 24-10:
Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation During Pregnancy
Reviews in Obstetrics & Gynecology