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HOW TO INCREASE YOUR BABY'S BRAIN AND EYE DEVELOPMENTWhat is DHA? DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid), is a major component of the brain. DHA is supplemented in infant formulas, but not in the United States. Premature babies in the U.S. who are not breast fed are not receiving DHA in standard infant formula and may beat risk for developing neurological and/or visual disorders.The human brain grows at a rapid pace during the late stages of fetal development and the DI IA content of the fetal brain increases 3 to 5 times during the final trimester of pregnancy, and triples during the first 1 2 weeks of life. DHA is crucial for pregnant and lactating women. It is abundant in breast milk, but DHA levels in breast milk in American women are among the lowest in the world. Fish such as, tuna, salmon, and sardines are rich sources of DHA, which is also found in mackerel, bluefish, halibut, herring, striped bass, Atlantic cod and flounder. Two to three servings of fish per week will maintain proper levels of DI IA. The purest source of DHA is not the fish itself but rather what the fish consume-the oceans' micro-algae. Egy yolks contain modest amounts of DHA. The average American's diet is low in DHA because of a decline in consumption of fatty fish, organ meats and egg yolks. In recent years, scientists have developed techniques to extract DHA from microalgae- the original source that the fish ingests. For women who are breast feeding and don't eat fish, supplementation of DHA should be encouraged because of its impor tance for signal transmission in the brain, eye and nervous systern. WHO/FA() (World Health Organization and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization) recommended that DHA and arachidonic acid (ARA) be included in infant's formulas worldwide. Supplemented formulas are not available in the U.S (From Pregnant Physicians for DHA, Dr. Levine letter, publication of the Cornell Medical Center) --> return to menu / back ... (click) --> return to top of the page (click) |
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