"Eating for two is exciting but comes with a lot of baggage weight gain uncontrollable cravings for ice cream and pickles and constant concern over whether your growing baby is getting all the nutrients it needs httpshealth.usnews.comhealthnewsblogseatrunthebestandworstfoodstoeatduringpregnancy to name a few. Now findings published in Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism http reveal that most women arent getting enough omega fatty acids  healthy fats found in fish walnuts avocados and supplements. Specifically they arent getting enough DHA docosahexaenoic acid an omega long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid omega LCPUFA thats critical to a babys brain development. DHA is primarily obtained by eating fish and other seafood. For the study researchers from Canadas University of Alberta studied  women during and after pregnancy to monitor their intake of omega LCPUFAs. These include DHA EPA eicosapentaenoic acid and DPA docosapentaenoic acid. DHA is believed to be the biggest player in neurological health and is the primary structural fat found in the brain. The American Dietetic Association recommends that healthy adults including pregnant and lactating women get at least  milligrams per day of omega LCPUFAs. Meanwhile the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids advises that pregnant httpshealth.usnews.comhealthnewsblogseatrunwhyiodineisimportantduringpregnancy and lactating women consume at least  mg of DHA per day. The researchers found that only  percent of women during pregnancy httpshealth.usnews.comhealthnewshealthwellnessarticleswhatnottosaytoapregnantwoman and  percent of women threemonths postpartum were meeting those DHA recommendations. The Power of DHA Omega s are needed for the infants brain and nervous system to develop properly says contributing study author Catherine Field a registered dietitian and professor of nutrition at the University of Alberta. Also the membranes of every cell in a persons body contain omega fatty acids. They are needed for the cell to grow and function. After all during pregnancy and breastfeeding httpshealth.usnews.comhealthnewsblogseatrunwhattoeatwhilebreastfeeding babies are doing at lot of growing. Whats more during pregnancy omega fatty acids are required for moms body to produce more red blood cells so that she can provide enough nutrients and oxygen to her growing baby. These fatty acids also help the placenta grow and function as needed Field says. Its this placenta that omega fatty acids including DHA diffuse across to reach the baby and spur brain development says Dr. Vincenzo Berghella past president of the Society for MaternalFetal Medicine as well as professor and director of the division of MaternalFetal Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Not surprisingly low intake of DHA in moms is linked to babies with lower cognitive development often associated with crying and poor sleep as well as lower IQs and attention deficit disorders Field says. Whats more her previous research in both animals and humans shows that DHA intake during breastfeeding impacts infants immune system development which may explain why babies who receive low amounts of DHA through breast milk have an increased risk of asthma and allergies. She also notes that DHA supplementation may help prevent preterm labor httpshealth.usnews.comhealthnewspatientadvicearticleswhatyoucandotopreventprematurebirth preeclampsia and postpartum depression. However whether DHA benefits more than babies brain health isnt conclusive. Data from observational studies and from randomized controlled trials suggest that omega during pregnancy could be associated with several benefits such as lower risk of preterm birth preeclampsia and other obstetrics complications. However there are contradicting results Berghella says. In fact Berghellas  review http of  randomized controlled trials found that omega supplementation during pregnancy was not associated with decreases in risk. However the review did find that women with singlechild pregnancies no multiples had a  percent lower risk of stillbirth or early infant death if they began supplementation by  weeks into their pregnancies. How to Get More DHA Sushis one thing but during pregnancy you shouldnt lay off seafood entirely Berghella says. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant and breastfeeding women eat at least two servings of fish or shellfish about  to  ounces every week. But take care to choose lowmercury options such as shrimp salmon and catfish. The group recommends avoiding shark swordfish king mackerel and tilefish and limiting white tuna consumption to  ounces per week. Hitting those recommendations will get you approximately  mg of DHA per week Berghella says. While thats not exactly  mg per day if you average your intake out over the course of a day week you still hit recommended amounts. In the University of Alberta study seafood fish and seaweed products contributed to  percent of womens omega LCPUFA intakes from food. The biggest source salmon. Good thing as a  study published in The Lancet http found that children born to mothers who reported no seafood intake had the greatest risk of behavioral problems and poor scores on early developmental and IQ tests. If you dont eat seafood DHA supplements can help says Dr. Gabriele Saccone of the University of Naples Federico IIs department of neuroscience and Berghellas collaborator. But if you do take supplements opt for fishoil varieties httpshealth.usnews.comhealthnewsblogseatrunhowtochooseafishoilsupplement since DHA from fish may be more beneficial than getting it from vegetarian supplements according to Saccone. And no worries they are low in mercury. Even if you are eating some seafood  just not quite two servings per week  a fishoil supplement could still help. In the current study women who took a supplement were  times more likely to get  mg of DHA per week during pregnancy and lactation compared to those who went supplementfree. Apart from taking supplements Field also recommends eating foods enriched with DHA such as milk and eggs. Wondering about avocados walnuts and olive oil While they are all filled with omega fatty acids they arent of the DHA variety. These plant sources httpshealth.usnews.combestdietbestplantbaseddiets of omegas contain ALA alphalinolenic acid which while good for you has a hard time converting into DHA so that it can really benefit babys brain development httpshealth.usnews.comhealthnewsblogseatrunbestfoodstoeatduringpregnancy Berghella says. In North Americans and Europeans only about  percent of all ALA consumed becomes EPA or DHA Field says. The bottom line When a smiley face shows up on your pregnancy test its time to hit the fish market. But if youve got a sensitive pregnancy belly you might want to send your partner shopping for the pungent fare."