DHA Supplement May Hasten Cold Recovery in Newborns
Pregnant mothers are now being told that a daily dose of DHA, an essential fatty acid found in fish oil supplements, may ward off common colds in their newborn babies.
Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta tested their theory on more than 1,000 pregnant women who were in their second trimester in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and published their findings in the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Giving mothers-to-be a daily 400 mg dose of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid, and monitoring the women’s babies after birth at months one, three, and six, researchers discovered that newborns whose mothers were given DHA exhibited fewer cold symptoms than those babies whose mothers had taken the placebo.
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“The occurrence of specific illness symptoms did not differ between groups; however, the occurrence of a combined measure of cold symptoms [including coughing, phlegm, and wheezing) was lower in the DHA group at one month,” the study revealed.
At three months, the DHA babies experienced less time being ill, while at six months, they reported quicker recoveries from the common cold, having a shorter duration of symptoms ranging from fevers to runny noses.
The DHA group did, however, suffer some negative effects, including increased rashes and vomiting.
Though the benefits of the DHA supplement were still in question, one of the lead authors of the study, Usha Ramakrishnan, still recommended the supplement for pregnant mothers, stating that it could help babies in their most vulnerable months.
“I wouldn’t want to overplay the benefits, but the findings do suggest some benefits early in life,” said Ramakrishnan, according to Time.
She plans to closely follow the participants through the next few years in order to make note of any changes elsewhere in the babies’ bodies, including their response to allergies and other infectious diseases.
Not only known for reducing the common cold symptoms, other benefits of fish oil supplements for pregnant mothers include better visual and cognitive development of the child, and overall heart health and brain health.
And specifically, the unsaturated fatty acid DHA has also been found to reduce postnatal depression in mothers, greatly reduce chances of breast cancer, and also lower pre-term labor and the need for Cesarean’s.
DHA cannot be produced by the body on its own, and must be obtained through the diet, most effectively through fish oil supplements, which have low to no mercury traces. The only way a fetus can receive DHA is through the mother.
Ramakrishnan suggests pregnant mothers take a 400 mg dose of DHA daily, although the current recommended dose is 300 mg.
