DHA Supplements for Nursing Mothers May Boost Breast Milk Quality and Infant Development
This community-based study followed 60 breastfeeding mothers in Punjab, India, from both urban and rural areas, starting one month after childbirth. Half of the mothers in each group took daily DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) capsules for 150 days, while the others did not, allowing researchers to compare outcomes between supplemented and non-supplemented mothers.
Both urban and rural mothers had diets low in omega-3 fatty acids, with rural mothers showing especially low intake. Mothers who took DHA supplements showed significantly higher DHA levels in their blood and in their breast milk compared to those who didn’t supplement.
Infants of supplemented mothers showed better growth measurements (weight, length, and head circumference) at 6 months of age, along with healthier growth pattern scores. These infants also scored significantly higher on standardized tests measuring motor skills and mental development. Higher DHA levels in breast milk were linked to better neurodevelopmental scores in infants.
What this means for you
For breastfeeding mothers—especially those with limited dietary omega-3 intake—this research suggests that DHA supplementation may help increase the DHA content of breast milk, which was associated with favorable infant growth and developmental outcomes in this study. As with any single trial, larger and more diverse studies would help confirm these findings.
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Frontiers in nutrition · 2026-01-01 · DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1885518
Read the original source ↗This summary is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always talk to your healthcare provider before making changes to your supplement routine.