The Prenatal DHA Test measures the amount of DHA in the blood. Studies show 5% is the level women should shoot for during pregnancy.
A recent large clinical study published in The Lancet showed that women with a higher DHA-level in their red blood cell membranes showed an almost 50% reduced risk in Early Preterm Birth (EPB) and the associated risks of infant mortality and child disabilities (1).
Additionally, DHA is one of the mayor building blocks of the brain cell-membranes, eyes and nerve system. A daily intake of 1.000 mg DHA during pregnancy and 1st year of breastfeeding is recommended by many health professionals.
Best is test your DHA blood level today and adjust your diet and supplementation accordingly. TEST - DON´T GUESS!
WHAT IS A GOOD DHA VALUE FOR THE MOM?
You should aim for at least 5% DHA in your red blood cell membranes.
HOW MUCH DHA SHOULD I INGEST EVERY DAY?
During pregnancy and 1st year of breastfeeding you should ingest 1.000 mg DHA per day.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I TAKE THIS TEST?
This depends really of the results coming from the first test. If your results showed a DHA value of 5% or more, then move on with your present diet. You are doing everything correctly. Congratulations. No additional DHA uptake is necessary.
It your DHA value is below 5% then start to take 1.000 mg DHA per day and make a new test after 6-8 weeks. See how your DHA value has behaved. If you have not reached the 5% then increase your daily DHA dose and test again after several weeks.
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Carlson SE, Gajewski BJ, Valentine CJ, Kerling EH, Weiner CP, Cackovic M, Buhimschi CS, Rogers LK, Sands SA, Brown AR, Mudaranthakam DP, Crawford SA, DeFranco EA. Higher dose docosahexaenoic acid supplementation during pregnancy and early preterm birth: A randomised, double-blind, adaptive-design superiority trial. EClinicalMedicine. 2021 May 17;36:100905. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100905. PMID: 34308309; PMCID: PMC8257993.
