World Prematurity Day 2025: How DHA supplement innovation across different prenatal formats supports expectant mothers and their babies

Summary 

• Pregnancy lays the foundation for a lifetime—but not all babies begin life with the same advantage, because each year an estimated 15 million infants are born preterm, and rates continue to rise in many parts of the world.¹
• World Prematurity Day—observed annually on 17 November—raises awareness of the profound challenges facing preterm infants and highlights the urgent need to both (1) reduce risk of premature birth and (2) better support babies born too soon.  
• This year’s theme, “Give preterm babies a strong start for a hopeful future,” reflects our belief that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) plays a vital role in making that future possible, but many women still struggle to achieve adequate DHA levels during pregnancy. Read on to learn why.  

Did you know, the leading cause of death among infants and children under five globally is preterm birth complications?² Survivors often face lifetime disabilities including cerebral palsy, autism, and asthma, as well as learning difficulties and/or or visual and hearing impairments.^3,4,5,6 But there is hope. Multiple large meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials show that omega-3 supplementation before and during pregnancy, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), significantly reduces preterm and early preterm birth risk.^7,8 Because of this, maternal DHA supplementation also provides huge potential cost savings. One US health-economic modeling study estimated that if every pregnant woman in the US consumed adequate amounts of DHA, this would result in 40,000 fewer preterm births per year, generating annual healthcare and societal savings of more than $8 billion per year.⁹

Yet despite this strong evidence and 75% of doctors recommending DHA alongside folic acid and iron¹⁰, only around 56% of pregnant women take all-in-one prenatal multivitamins and only 46% use maternal omega-3/DHA supplements.⁶ And just 38% of all-in-one prenatal products provide 250 mg of DHA per serving (or even less)⁶—well below the recommended minimum of 350 mg to reduce preterm birth risk, and far short of the 600-1,000 mg suggested for women at higher risk.^11,12  

In this article, we’ll explore what’s standing in the way of better DHA supplementation—and how, by overcoming these barriers together, we can help give babies the healthiest possible start in life. But first, let’s look at what makes DHA so important. 

The role of DHA in reducing preterm birth risk

Last year, the first comprehensive Clinical Practice Guideline on omega-3 intake during pregnancy for the purposes of preterm birth prevention was published by 24 international experts on behalf of several medical-scientific associations. Its recommendations, which were further endorsed by the European Board & College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,¹³ included 250 mg DHA daily before conception, 350-450 mg during pregnancy, and 600-1,000 mg for women at high risk of preterm birth due to inadequate omega-3 intakes.⁷ The evidence behind these recommendations is considered “high-certainty” in recent meta analyses, which also show that omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy can lower the risk of preterm birth by 11% and early preterm birth by 42% - supporting the view of DHA as “the next folic acid” for maternal health.¹⁴

Following the publication of these data the US National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (NIH ODS) recently endorsed omega-3 supplementation as a strategy to reduce preterm birth risk.¹⁵ Yet on this World Prematurity Day 2025—nearly two years after publication—many pregnant women still aren't meeting the recommendations. In fact, over 94% of pregnant women in the US fail to consume even 250 mg per day, with an average daily DHA+EPA intake of less than 100 mg”.¹⁶ So why is this gap still so wide?

The challenge: why women struggle to meet DHA recommendations 

Current supplements face several barriers that make it difficult for women to reach adequate DHA intake levels. First, most all-in-one prenatal vitamins contain 250 mg of DHA depending on the format, largely due to limitations in how much DHA oil can be concentrated in a single dose.¹⁷ The problem is even greater with gummies—the fastest-growing format among younger mothers who value taste and convenience. These typically contain just 50-70 mg of DHA since traditional fish oil or low-concentration sources cannot deliver higher doses without affecting the gummy’s texture, taste, or structural integrity.⁶ As a result, even women who consistently take these supplements may still fall short of the levels shown to reduce the risk of preterm birth. 

Other factors can compound the problem. Large capsules or unpleasant fishy flavors are common barriers, with around 40% of pregnant women discontinuing supplements due to taste or sensory issues.⁶ Together, these limitations mean that many women are not receiving the full health benefits of DHA for themselves or their babies.

Implementation in action 

Overcoming these barriers starts with simple screening tools like food frequency questionnaires that can identify women at high risk of preterm birth due to low omega-3 intake, ensuring that nutritional support reaches those who need it most.¹⁸ But identifying risk is only the first step. Real progress depends on format innovation that makes DHA supplementation easier, more effective, and more enjoyable for pregnant women. With traditional DHA oils, there is often a trade-off between science and taste. Their strong flavor and low concentration make them difficult to incorporate into more appealing and palatable formats like gummies or small capsules. However, high-dose, algal-based DHA, can overcome these common challenges—delivering adequate DHA in convenient, more enjoyable forms. Here’s how…

Pure potency: how algal DHA unlocks guideline-compliant formats

By offering higher concentrations, advanced algal-derived DHA solutions make it possible to deliver 350 mg or more DHA per serving without increasing capsule size or causing fishy aftertastes. This means more user-friendly formats—whether concentrated soft gel capsules, palatable gummies, or smart chews—are possible, making it far easier for women to adhere to supplementation and reach the levels of DHA shown to support a healthy pregnancy. 

Take our high-dose, algal oil life’sDHA® as an example. It’s designed to meet the needs of expectant mothers by enabling all-in-one prenatal soft gel capsules and gummies that deliver all essential nutrients along with the highest DHA dose on the market—all in a small, easy-to-take format. Fully aligned with the latest guidelines for reducing preterm birth risk, it provides science-backed DHA concentration without the fishy aftertaste or need for oversized capsules; just convenient, tasty supplementation for pregnancy.

From clinical consensus to consumer reality

Format innovation that enables guideline-compliant dosing in more appealing supplements—that's what translates clinical consensus into reducing preterm births, supporting healthier mothers and babies, and increasing healthcare savings. But with most prenatal products still falling short of recommended DHA levels, there’s a clear opportunity for the industry to step up. By partnering on science-backed innovation, leveraging advanced formulation technologies, and prioritizing clinically relevant DHA dosing, supplement manufacturers can help close the gap for expectant mothers and their babies, delivering real impact for generations to come.