Should mothers who are providing breastmilk for their premature infants take DHA (docosahexanoic acid) supplements?

DHA is an essential fatty acid that our bodies are unable to manufacture to sufficient levels on our own. Our diet is our main source of DHA, with the best food resources being fish and seafood. Because DHA is crucial to the development of neural tissue in infants, such as the brain and the retina, pregnant and nursing women are encouraged to have an adequate amount of DHA in their diets. According to the Food and Drug Administration, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are advised to eat 2-3 meals of fish each week to supply an adequate amount of DHA to their infants.

The author of a 2017 review of DHA and premature infant development suggests that premature infants require more DHA than term infants, because premature infants need nutritional balances similar to those found in-utero. Fetuses are exposed to more DHA through placental transfer from the mother, as compared to premature infants of the same gestation who mainly receive DHA through breastmilk. The DHA concentration in formula is similar to the average amount in breastmilk.