Baby's DHA by Nordic Naturals

This is a liquid omega-3 for infants from birth to 12 months, the age range printed on the box, dosed by body weight with the included dropper. Parents usually consider it when a baby gets little DHA from the diet, for example a breastfed baby whose mother eats little fish. Many infant formulas already contain DHA, and a nursing mother's own intake raises the DHA in her milk, so ask your baby's pediatrician whether a separate supplement is needed before you start.

The oil is purified arctic cod liver oil, with its omega-3s in triglyceride form, the form found naturally in fish. DHA is a structural fat in the brain and the retina, and it accumulates quickly during the first year of life. The formula also includes vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), which helps the body absorb calcium for growing bones. Rosemary extract and RRR-alpha tocopherol are there to protect the oil from oxidation.

Follow the weight chart on the box, once daily: it sets a dose from 1.0 mL to 5.0 mL according to your baby's body weight. Use the chart itself, not a guess, or the dose your pediatrician gives you. Measure with the dropper and add it to food, breast milk or infant formula. The Supplement Facts panel describes a 5 mL serving: 1050 mg of total omega-3s, including 485 mg DHA and 350 mg EPA, plus 300 IU (7.5 mcg) of vitamin D3. Smaller doses provide proportionally less.

Do not give more than the chart allows, and do not use it outside the labeled age and weight range unless your pediatrician advises it. Because it contains vitamin D3, tell the pediatrician about every other source your baby gets, including formula and vitamin D drops, and do not assume this product alone covers your baby's vitamin D needs. It is made from fish, so it is not suitable for a baby with a known fish allergy. The box says to consult your physician first if your baby has a known medical condition or takes medications, including blood thinners; ask too if your baby was born prematurely.

Do not expect a visible change. DHA is a building block that supports normal brain and visual development over months, and evidence that supplementing a healthy, well-fed baby improves later outcomes is mixed. The practical benefit is filling a gap when dietary DHA is low. The alternatives are DHA from the mother's diet while breastfeeding or a formula that contains it. No flavoring is listed. Refrigerate the bottle after opening and clean the dropper after each use.