Science-driven solutions for maternal nutrition: Closing the gaps from preconception to postpartum

Summary 

• From preconception to a child’s second birthday, these first years are critical for lifelong health, yet many maternal nutrition products still fall short on both formulation and adherence.
• Fresh consumer and healthcare professional research highlights critical unmet needs—from insufficient docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) dosage to rising demand for microbiome support, enjoyable formats, and stage-specific nutrition across preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum.
• Read on to discover how science-backed innovation can close these gaps and help create maternal nutrition solutions that better support mothers—and their babies.

The first 1000 days—from conception through early childhood—represent a critical window where nutrition and care have a lasting impact on growth, learning, and long-term health.¹ Prenatal nutrition does more than simply sustain growth. It programs the fetal epigenome (chemical modifications that control gene activity during fetal development) with lasting effects on disease risk. This means that with the right nutritional support, mothers-to-be can help lay the foundations for a child’s long-term health from the moment they are born. To help women achieve an optimal nutritional status during this time, supplements are often required. A systematic review of 19 clinical trials confirms this, revealing that multivitamin-mineral supplementation reduced the incidence of premature newborns and lowered risks of stunting, underweight status, and small head circumference in early infancy.²

Yet despite growing awareness of the importance of maternal supplements, they often fall short—in terms of formulation and adherence. To help close this gap, we conducted consumer research in the U.S. to determine what matters most to expectant mothers when it comes to maternal nutrition.³ Keep reading to explore the findings and see how the nutrition industry can develop better maternal nutrition products to suit mothers’ and babies’ needs.

What mothers want

The survey revealed that the most important product claim for expectant mothers is fetal brain development—highlighting how moms want to give their babies the best start.³ They also want peace of mind, knowing they’re getting all the nutrients they need for a healthy pregnancy, with particular interest in microbiome support—for themselves and their baby.³ This focus on gut health reflects the growing awareness of the important role the maternal microbiome may play in the health outcomes of expectant mothers and babies.

What is also clear from our survey is that consumers want personalized maternal supplements tailored to every stage of pregnancy. To help nutrition brands meet these needs, our maternal toolkit provides science-based building blocks tailored to each stage, from preconception fertility support to pregnancy-specific nutrients for fetal development and maternal microbiome health, through to postpartum mental health and lactation needs. For instance, while iron, vitamin B and D, folic acid, and omega-3s are essential throughout every stage, certain ingredients can support specific phases, such as Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) for preconception. During pregnancy, choline, lutein, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) support brain development while prebiotics and probiotics can support the gut microbiome. In fact, we are exploring emerging science on the maternal microbiome, developing synbiotic formulations that combine human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) with probiotic strains. Staying well-hydrated after childbirth is also essential. Here, electrolytes, magnesium, B-complex vitamins, and postbiotics help restore balance and support recovery.

The DHA gap: science vs reality

The study also revealed—for the first time—that consumers have a strong interest in solutions that can help reduce the risk of preterm birth,³ a global issue affecting up to 15 million infants born each year, with rates rising in many regions.⁴ The omega-3 DHA is one of the nutrients that can help to reduce the risk of pre-term birth, and our survey revealed that a high percentage of obstetricians and gynecologists recommend an all-in-one multivitamin with DHA alongside folic acid and iron.³ Women heavily rely on these recommendations, alongside online sources, social media, and peer advice.³

Obstetricians, gynecologists, and consumers are aligned on the importance of DHA, ranking it as the third most critical nutrient after vitamins.³ But the reality is far from ideal: many women in the U.S. still aren’t getting enough DHA, even though they see omega-3 as critical for a healthy pregnancy. There are multiple reasons for this, including healthcare professionals not being fully aware of what the right amount of DHA is for supporting optimal health for mothers and babies, as well as supplements not containing enough DHA.

As of 2024, the first ever comprehensive Clinical Practice Guidelines on omega-3 fatty acid use in pregnancy was published. These advised a daily dose of 250mg DHA before conception, 350-450mg during pregnancy, and up to 1000mg of DHA for high-risk women.⁵ Research has shown that if all pregnant women consumed 1,000mg of omega-3 daily, more than 40,000 US preterm births could be prevented annually, with healthcare savings exceeding USD 8 billion.⁶ Despite these recommendations, product formulations lag behind—only 38% of all-in-one prenatal supplements deliver up to 250 mg of DHA per serve, while evidence supports a minimum of 350 mg for reducing preterm birth risk during pregnancy.³

To help accelerate global awareness and adoption of these evidence-based DHA recommendations, we actively support scientific dissemination through engagements at leading obstetrics and gynecology congresses.

Sensory and format challenges hinder adherence

Compliance challenges further widen the gap between optimal nutritional status of mothers-to-be and reality. One of the biggest barriers? Bad taste and oversized pills. These issues jeopardize adherence, even when moms know the benefits. This is likely why gummy formats are rising in popularity—as they provide a convenient, tasty, and pleasant sensory experience. This preference gap matters as approximately 40% of pregnant women stopped using maternal supplements due to bad taste or unpleasant pill sizes, among other barriers.³ However, gummies can face formulation limitations, for instance when it comes to DHA, they often contain just 50-70mg because of traditional fish oil limitations.³

The need is clear. Maternal nutrition solutions must evolve—from developing better formulations that are aligned with science-backed evidence to overcoming compliance challenges with innovative formats.

Closing the gap with science-led technical innovation

We’ve leveraged our application expertise and technical know-how to create innovative maternal nutrition formats that address both dosage gaps and adherence barriers. For instance, our life'sDHA® portfolio of maternal solutions uses a highly concentrated algal oil to enable previously unattainable DHA loading across multiple formats with superior sensory experiences. Take our life'sDHA® B54-O100 oil as an example. It achieves high DHA concentration in natural triglyceride form,⁷ which enables the creation of all-in-one maternal soft gel capsules delivering 350mg DHA per serving with no fishy smell or burps.

For those who prefer gummies—our life'sDHA® B31 powder (30% DHA concentration) enables all-in-one maternal gummies with 350mg DHA in two servings, representing seven times more DHA than nearly all prenatal gummies currently available.⁷ We've also introduced smart chews as an innovative add-on format. Each chew delivers 250mg DHA with a flexible dosing system, enabling women to adjust intake based on their needs and clinical guidelines: one chew for preconception, two for pregnancy or three if the women is high-risk or has low omega-3 status.

Not only do these creative DHA formats overcome adherence barriers to traditional supplements, but they also meet consumers’ broader demands. Our survey revealed that expectant mothers are increasingly seeking clean-label products with vegan claims, and transparent ingredient lists. life'sDHA® is cultivated in closed, controlled environments, minimizing exposure to ocean-borne contaminants. It's naturally suitable for vegetarian and vegan formulations (B54 oil), non-GMO, with tight specifications on heavy metals and other contaminants including mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons—making it the preferred algal source of DHA for use in maternal nutrition and infant formula.

Build better maternal nutrition products with dsm-firmenich

By addressing maternal needs comprehensively, we can help you create solutions that give babies the best start in life. Plus, with our taste capabilities for superior sensory experiences, tailored premixes, and market-ready solutions, you can develop supplements that mothers actually want to take daily.