What Does It Do?
DHA (an Omega-3 fat) supports your baby's normal brain and eye development.
Where Can They Get It?
Babies are able to make a small amount of DHA in their bodies, but this may not be enough and babies will benefit from supplemental DHA in their diet. Babies get DHA from their mother’s breast milk and from formula containing DHA.
How Do They Get Enough?
If you are breast feeding:
Eat foods rich in DHA, such as low mercury, fatty fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring)* and DHA-enriched eggs, milk, bread and yogurt. *Health Canada provides advice for limiting exposure to mercury from certain types of fish.
If you are formula feeding:
Experts recommend that all non-breastfed infants should be fed a formula containing DHA such as Enfamil A+®, in which DHA accounts for at least 0.2% of total fatty acids. Unfortunately, formula labels don’t list DHA as a percentage of total fat content. So, make sure to read the label carefully so you buy a formula with DHA (not just any Omega-3 fat), at a level of approximately 7.2 mg per 100 mL (0.2% fatty acids).
Enfamil A+ has 11.5 mg of DHA per 100 mL at normal dilution.