Webinar preview: dsm-firmenich highlights DHA’s essential role for prenatal health
Key takeaways
- Ahead of its webinar, dsm-firmenich tells us more about the importance of DHA in supporting healthy full-term pregnancies.
- The company cites a review and clinical practice guidelines linking pregnancy omega-3 supplementation to lower preterm birth risk, and says baseline DHA status matters as much as supplementing during gestation.
- It argues that high-dose DHA formulation challenges — capsule size, oxidation, fishy off-notes — make format and adherence central to real-world impact.
Prenatal nutrition is coming into the spotlight in dsm-firmenich’s upcoming webinar, “Pure love deserves a pure start: Solutions that give the best start from day one.”
Nutrition Insight meets with the nutrition, health, and beauty solutions provider ahead of the webinar to discuss the increasingly impactful evidence of the role of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in supporting a healthy, full-term pregnancy.
According to Ana Ivanovic, senior manager of Global Marketing & Business Development for Early Life Nutrition at dsm-firmenich: “The data supports DHA’s potential to become a widely recognized prenatal nutrition intervention with meaningful population-level impact.”
Additionally, Kristen Finn, registered dietitian and associate principal scientist in the Global Innovation & Science team of Early Life Nutrition at dsm-firmenich, points to strong evidence, such as a Cochrane review and recommendations from a 2024 international clinical practice guideline, linking omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy to a lower risk of preterm birth while supporting fetal brain and eye development.
Registration for the free webinar on October 13, at 2:00 PM CEST (12:00 PM UTC), is now open.
Research backing prenatal DHA
Based on the latest trials, Ivanovic points out that baseline DHA status has been found to be as important as taking the nutrient during pregnancy for reducing preterm birth risk. This means that women entering pregnancy with sufficient DHA intake from diet or other sources already help lower the risk.
Baseline DHA status has been found to be as important as taking the nutrient during pregnancy for reducing preterm birth risk.Finn explains: “The Cochrane review process is the gold standard for systematic review, and in 2018, it concluded with a high certainty of evidence that the addition of omega-3 fatty acids, mainly in the form of DHA, during pregnancy reduced the risk of preterm births before 37 weeks by 11% and early preterm births by 42%.”
Ivanovic adds that more recent trials helped establish appropriate doses. “The 2024 clinical practice guidelines recommend that all women of childbearing age consume at least 250 mg of DHA plus EPA [eicosapentaenoic acid] daily. Once they become pregnant, it is recommended that women need an additional 100–200 mg DHA, and women coming into pregnancy with inadequate DHA intakes benefit from higher doses of 600–1000 mg DHA (or DHA and EPA).”
DHA formulation challenges
The 2024 guidelines set intake levels that most prenatal formulations miss, notes dsm-firmenich. According to Ivanovic, formulation is the primary challenge.
“Higher DHA levels require more space, which results in very big capsules or several servings per day. They are also more prone to oxidation, with a higher impact on taste and increased fishy off-notes, resulting in a less enjoyable product experience.”
“These highlight the importance of highly concentrated yet less processed DHA sources applicable to innovative formats, such as an all-in-one prenatal capsule or gummies, and add-on chewable formats that can help meet different intake needs.”
Why consistency matters
The webinar will showcase how dsm-firmenich’s life’sDHA gummies, Smart Chews, and capsules help overcome formulation challenges when designing high-dose DHA supplements.
“In one study that examined the impact of protocol compliance, the impact of DHA on preterm birth risk was even more profound among women who were adherent to the DHA supplement regimen,” says Ivanovic.
The 2024 guidelines set intake levels that most prenatal formulations miss, notes dsm-firmenich.“We know supplement adherence is a challenge for pregnant women. Innovative formats can address these recognized barriers. For example, smaller, better-tasting, and more convenient formats may improve adherence by helping reduce barriers related to pill size, taste, and digestion.”
She points out that improvement ultimately relies on whether the consumer consistently takes an effective dose.
Why algal oil?
Currently, discussions about algal versus fish oil, sustainability, and oxidation are shaping maternal product development and format choice.
“Both fish and algal oils can provide DHA, but source influences formulation and positioning,” explains Finn. “Life’sDHA provides a natural, microalgal-based source of DHA in its natural chemical form, of trusted quality and free from environmental and marine contaminants.”
“Processing, formulation, and form (powder or oil), independent of source, influence the oxidation susceptibility of the oil, thus also sensory performance and shelf-life stability in the finished product. All the above are important factors that product developers should consider, as they can determine consumer acceptance.”
