Sponsored By: Balchem and Pharmavite

This Sponsored Satellite Program was originally presented at NUTRITION 2023.

Choline and DHA share a metabolic relationship and both play an important role in supporting a healthy pregnancy. Adequate intake is essential for supporting a healthy pregnancy, yet few women in the United States get enough choline or DHA in their diet. 

Recent clinical trials have shown the benefits of supplemental intakes of choline and DHA during pregnancy and suggest they have the potential to work optimally when consumed together. Maternal choline supplementation has been shown to improve baby’s neurodevelopment, while maternal DHA intake is linked to a reduction in early preterm and preterm birth. Additional research shows that providing choline and DHA together to expecting mothers improves the metabolic response, demonstrating an important nutrient interaction. 

This session explores recent research about choline’s impact on neurodevelopment, DHA’s role in supporting a healthy, full-term pregnancy, and the interaction of these nutrients to support a baby’s growth and development.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the results of recent clinical trials on the impact of supplemental choline during pregnancy on offspring cognitive development
• Describe the role that DHA plays in supporting prenatal development, including the reduction of early preterm (<34 weeks gestation) and preterm (<37 weeks gestation) birth
• Understand the synergy between choline and DHA supplementation and how they work together to support the health of both mother and child alike