Do I need to take DHA during breastfeeding?

We often hear about DHA in our daily life, but many people may not know what it is. The Chinese name of DHA is docosahexaenoic acid, and it is also called brain gold. Its essence is an unsaturated fatty acid. In the human body, DHA plays many roles, such as promoting brain development. Therefore, parents should pay attention to supplement their babies with various nutrients. So is it necessary for breastfeeding mothers to eat DHA?

Should I take DHA during breastfeeding?

DHA is generally found in foods such as fish, algae or egg yolks. It plays a huge role in the human body, especially babies who need to supplement DHA in a timely manner. Since DHA can promote the baby's brain development and vision development, is it necessary to supplement DHA during breastfeeding?

Do I need to supplement DHA during breastfeeding?

DHA is an important nutrient in the development of nerve cells in infants and young children, and is closely related to their responsiveness during growth. Lack of DHA during breastfeeding will have an adverse effect on the development of brain cell membranes and retina of infants and young children. The baby's learning ability will decline, language ability will deteriorate, and the chance of developing neurological diseases will also be higher. Studies have shown that the visual and language development indexes of children of breastfeeding mothers who supplement DHA are significantly higher than those of other children. Therefore, it is necessary for breastfeeding mothers and babies to supplement DHA in moderation.

The DHA needed by the fetus must be supplied by the mother through the placenta. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, the DHA level in the mother's body decreases rapidly, and DHA needs to be supplemented in time. A large number of experimental studies have shown that DHA is very important for both pregnant women and fetuses during pregnancy and lactation.

1. Promote the development of fetal brain cells, retina and psychomotor skills (such as hand-eye coordination);

2. It can prolong the pregnancy period of women at risk of premature birth;

3. It can help reduce the incidence of postpartum depression.

Experiments have also proven that adequate DHA supplementation during pregnancy and lactation is likely to significantly improve the cognitive abilities of breastfed infants before they are 18 years old.

Who is DHA suitable for?

1. Pregnant women

During pregnancy, DHA can optimize the phospholipid composition of the fetal brain pyramidal cells, especially after the fetus is 5 months old. If the fetus's hearing, vision, and touch are deliberately stimulated, it will cause the neurons in the sensory center of the fetal cerebral cortex to grow more dendrites. Most postpartum women will experience symptoms such as irritability and dizziness. These symptoms are due to the massive loss of DHA in the mother's body. Therefore, proper supplementation of DHA can reduce the occurrence of postpartum neurasthenia and postpartum depression in women. The International Nutrition Organization recommends that during pregnancy, daily DHA intake should be increased by 300 mg to meet the DHA needs for fetal brain and visual nerve development.

2. Breastfeeding mothers

Breastfeeding mothers need a lot of milk to supply their children. During this period, most of the DHA in the mother's body will be transferred to the infant, resulting in a decrease in the DHA content in the body. Therefore, breastfeeding mothers should supplement an appropriate amount of DHA, which can improve the child's visual and language development index.

3. Infants and young children

DHA is an important nutrient in the development of nerve cells in infants and young children, and is closely related to their responsiveness during growth.

4. Growing Children

If children in their growing years lack DHA, their learning ability will decline and they will be more likely to suffer from neurological diseases. DHA is in the optic nerve cells and retinal tissue.