Skip to content
Winnowleaf home

Condition

Healthy Childhood Development

Healthy childhood development is the growth of a child's body, thinking, emotions and movement, with the brain changing fastest in the first few years and leaning heavily on nutrition. Omega-3 DHA, vitamin D, iron and iodine have the strongest evidence, yet the one DHA trial found no clear difference in children's behavior. It was a small study of 132 preterm children whose mothers received DHA, so the evidence there is very limited.

Sources: PMID 39396702

Supplements studied
1
Graded outcomes
1
Trials
1
People studied
132

Evidence by supplement

  • Strong
  • Moderate
  • Limited
  • Very limited

1 supplement

Docosahexaenoic Acid: outcomes studied for Healthy Childhood Development
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Child behavioral development

No effect

NoneNo effect1 study132 people

Studies that measured child behavioral development

Key findings

  • Child behavioral developmentDocosahexaenoic Acid

The Child Development Support protocol

2 primary supplements · 6 supporting supplements

  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA)Children 2–4y: 100–150 mg DHA; 4–8y: 200–250 mg; 9+y: 250–500 mg DHA daily
  • Vitamin D0–1 year: 400 IU; 1–18 years: 600–1,000 IU daily

See the full protocol

Studies cited

1 study from PubMed

  1. Maternal high-dose docosahexaenoic acid supplementation and neurodevelopment at 5 Years of preterm children.Clin Nutr ESPEN · PMID 39396702