Sioux Falls, SD—OmegaQuant Analytics announced that it has launched a Prenatal DHA Test designed to help expecting moms monitor their omega-3 DHA level.
The company pointed out in a press release that around 10% of babies are born too early each year, and that new research suggests that a nutrient deficiency might be partly to blame. DHA has been the subject of several studies connecting DHA deficiency to a risk of early preterm birth, one of the top concerns for pregnant women.
The DHA level a pregnant woman should strive for is at least 5%, according to the release. If a woman is below that, eating more fatty fish or taking an omega-3 supplement containing at least 200mg of DHA can help raise the level.
Kristina Harris Jackson, Ph.D., RD, research associate at OmegaQuant Analytics, said in the release, “In a study we published in December, we estimated that 70% of women of childbearing age in the US are below the 5% DHA cutoff. There are no known risks to having a DHA level that is too high in pregnancy, except for the potential of carrying a baby past 40 weeks. It’s hard to think of a more important biomarker than prenatal DHA levels that can be safely and easily modified and has such potentially consequential outcomes.”
More information can be foundhere.
