Condition
Healthy Childhood Development
Healthy childhood development is the growth of a child's body, thinking, emotions and movement, with the brain changing fastest in the first few years and leaning heavily on nutrition. Omega-3 DHA, vitamin D, iron and iodine have the strongest evidence, yet the one DHA trial found no clear difference in children's behavior. It was a small study of 132 preterm children whose mothers received DHA, so the evidence there is very limited.
Sources: PMID 39396702
- Supplements studied
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 1
- Trials
- 1
- People studied
- 132
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child behavioral development No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 132 people | |||
Studies that measured child behavioral development | ||||||
Key findings
- Child behavioral development
The Child Development Support protocol
2 primary supplements · 6 supporting supplements
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA)Children 2–4y: 100–150 mg DHA; 4–8y: 200–250 mg; 9+y: 250–500 mg DHA daily
- Vitamin D0–1 year: 400 IU; 1–18 years: 600–1,000 IU daily
Studies cited
8 studies from PubMed
- A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid in the treatment of major depression
- Effect of DHA supplementation during pregnancy on maternal depression and neurodevelopment of young children: a randomized controlled trial
- Docosahexaenoic Acid and Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Association with Improved Maternal and Fetal Health.
- Maternal high-dose docosahexaenoic acid supplementation and neurodevelopment at 5 Years of preterm children.
- Fatty acids and sleep in UK children: subjective and pilot objective sleep results from the DOLAB study--a randomized controlled trial
- Effects of purified eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids on glycemic control, blood pressure, and serum lipids in type 2 diabetic patients with treated hypertension
- Docosahexaenoic acid ingestion inhibits natural killer cell activity and production of inflammatory mediators in young healthy men
- Fish-oil supplementation in pregnancy does not reduce the risk of gestational diabetes or preeclampsia