Getting DHA in Kids' Food
Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, is an omega-3 fatty acid beneficial for childhood brain development. When combined with eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, DHA may also help improve behaviors associated with autism, aggression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to a review published in a 2007 edition of “Alternative Medicine Review.” Including DHA-rich foods in your child’s diet can help him meet his daily DHA needs.
DHA in Foods
DHA and EPA are abundant in fish. However, kids shouldn’t eat fish on a daily basis, due to contaminants like mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, often found in fish that can negatively affect your child’s cognitive development. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests young children can safely consume up to 12 ounces per week of low-mercury fish like catfish, pollock and salmon. Children should never eat shark, swordfish, tilefish or king mackerel because of the high mercury content in those fish.
Alpha linolenic acid, or ALA, is another type of omega-3 fatty acid that may benefit your child’s development. Dietary sources of ALA include soybeans, walnuts, canola oil and flaxseed oil. A child’s body can convert ALA into DHA and EPA, so eating ALA-rich foods may slightly increase the DHA in your child’s body. However, a 2010 edition of "Today's Dietitian" reports that the conversion of ALA to DHA in the human body is inefficient, resulting in less than 5 percent of ALA being converted to DHA. If ALA is your child's only source of omega-3s, ask your pediatrician if a DHA supplement is appropriate.
A DHA supplement may be appropriate for children who don't eat fish. Many purified fish oil supplements contain DHA and EPA, and have had harmful levels of contaminants removed during the purification process. However, researchers who conducted a study published in a 2013 edition of “Food Additives and Contaminants” found traces of PCBs in all over-the-counter children’s fish oil supplements they tested. Therefore, choosing a vegan DHA supplement containing algae instead of fish oil may be your best bet. However, always ask your doctor before offering a child any type of supplement.
Your child’s DHA needs are based on his age and body weight. According to the American Pregnancy Association, infants ages 1 to 18 months need 32 milligrams of a combination of DHA plus EPA for each pound of their body weight, while kids ages 1.5 to 15 years old require 15 milligrams of DHA plus EPA for each pound of body weight. For example, a 4-year-old boy who weighs 40 pounds should aim for 600 milligrams of a combined daily intake of DHA and EPA.
- Alternative Medicine Review: Omega-3 DHA and EPA for Cognition, Behavior and Mood: Clinical Findings and Structural Functional Synergies with Cell Membrane Phospholipids
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish: EPA and FDA Advice For Women Who Might Become Pregnant, Women Who are Pregnant, Nursing Mothers
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Alpha-Linolenic Acid
- Food Additives and Contaminants: Children's Daily Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls from Dietary Supplements Containing Fish Oils
- American Pregnancy Association: Omega-3 Fish Oil and Pregnancy
- Today's Dietitian: Vegetarian’s Challenge — Optimizing Essential Fatty Acid Status
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