DHA for Pregnancy

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid. DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid, but it’s much easier to simply refer to as DHA. The number of pregnant individuals in the United States, whether vegetarian or nonvegetarian, whose intakes of DHA meet the common recommendation for DHA is quite low (1).

Vegan diets don’t contain DHA unless supplements or fortified foods are used; nonvegetarians get DHA from fish.

In pregnancy, DHA supplementation is associated with a reduced risk of having a preterm birth (baby born too early) and a reduced risk of having an infant with an unhealthfully low birth weight (2,3). That’s why many organizations recommend intakes of DHA of 200 to 300 milligrams daily during pregnancy (4). There is some evidence that those with low DHA status (as indicated by lab tests) prior to pregnancy could benefit from as much as 1,000 milligrams of DHA daily (5).

Vegan DHA supplements are made from microalgae. Microalgae is the source of DHA in fish and in fish oil so using a DHA supplement based on microalgae can meet DHA needs without involving fish. DHA derived from microalgae effectively improves DHA status (6).

DHA from microalgae is added to some vegan prenatal vitamin and mineral supplements. Microalgal DHA can also be found in supplements that only contain DHA (or DHA along with other omega-3 fatty acids). In pregnancy, products only supplying DHA would be used along with a vegan prenatal supplement that does not supply DHA. In other words, if your prenatal supplement contains DHA, it’s likely that a separate DHA supplement is not needed. If your prenatal supplement does not contain DHA, you could use a separate DHA supplement.

We looked for prenatal supplements providing DHA and for DHA supplements that were labeled vegan. This is not a comprehensive list but reflects what we found online and in stores.

Prenatal supplements identified as vegan that provide DHA

Buried Treasure Prenatal Plus DHA Daily Multi Vegetarian Safe Liquid Supplement One Tablespoon provides 200 milligrams of a DHA blend; also provides vitamins and minerals. 100 micrograms of vitamin B12 is an appropriate dose in a once daily supplement in pregnancy.

iwi prenatal Two softgels provide 200 milligrams of DHA; also provides vitamins and minerals. 30 micrograms of vitamin B12 is an appropriate dose; supplies iodine but only 100 micrograms (recommendations call for 150 micrograms of supplemental iodine in pregnancy)

Premama Prenatal vitamins One daily capsule provides 78 milligrams of DHA (less than what is commonly recommended); also provides vitamins and minerals; 2.8 micrograms of vitamin B12 once a day is lower than recommendations on VeganHealth

Vegan DHA supplements

Deva Vegan Omega-3 DHA One vegan softgel provides 200 milligrams of DHA

Deva Vegan Liquid Omega-3 DHA 14 drops provide 200 milligrams of DHA

Doctor’s Best Vegan DHA One veggie softgel provides 200 milligrams of DHA

Dr. Fuhrman’s DHA + EPA 0.75 milliliters provide 175 milligrams of DHA

Early Promise Prenatal Gentle DHA One vegetarian softgel provides 200 milligrams of DHA

Garden of Life Vegan DHA One softgel provides 400 milligrams of DHA

Mama Bird Vegan Prenatal DHA Two softgels provide 350 milligrams of DHA

New Chapter Prenatal Vegan Omega-3 Complex One softgel provides 250 milligrams of DHA

New Chapter Vegan Omega-3 Complex One softgel provides 250 milligrams of DHA

Nordic Naturals Vegan Prenatal DHA One softgel provides 250 milligrams of DHA

Nuique Mother & Baby Vegan Algae Omega 3 Two capsules provide 375 milligrams of DHA; shipped from the UK so delivery may take 2 to 3 weeks.

Ovega-3 Plant-based DHA One softgel provides 270 milligrams of DHA

Truvani’s Plant-based Omega One capsule provides 250 milligrams of DHA

Whole Earth & Sea Marine DHA One softgel provides 300 milligrams of DHA

References

1. Nordgren TM, Lyden E, Anderson-Berry A, et al. Omega-3 fatty acid intake of pregnant women and women of childbearing age in the United States: potential for deficiency? Nutrients. 2017;9(3):197.
2. Middleton P, Gomersall JC, Gould JF, et al. Omega-3 fatty acid addition during pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;11(11):CD003402.
3. Kar S, Wong M, Rogozinska E, et al. Effects of omega-3 fatty acids in prevention of early preterm delivery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized studies. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2016;198:40-46.
4. Mangels R, Messina V, Messina M. The Dietitian’s Guide to Vegetarian Diets, 4^th edition. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2023.
5. Carlson SE, Gajewski BJ, Valentine CJ, et al. Higher dose docosahexaenoic acid supplementation during pregnancy and early preterm birth: A randomised, double-blind, adaptive-design superiority trial. EClinicalMedicine. 2021;36:100905.
6. Sarter B, Kelsey KS, Schwartz TA, et al. Blood docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid in vegans: Associations with age and gender and effects of an algal-derived omega-3 fatty acid supplement. Clin Nutr. 2015;34(2):212-218.

To read more about vegan pregnancy see:

Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood

Pregnancy and the Vegan Diet

Prenatal Supplements for Vegans

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.