The first 1,000 days and beyond: Why DHA never stops mattering for your child’s brain 

You’ve likely heard that the first 1000 days of your little one’s life are the most crucial to their development. By the time your child is 1 year old their brain has doubled in size since birth. Everything from the moment of conception to their second birthday can help set them up for their lives.   

But what is not often focused on past toddlerhood, is that brain growth keeps expanding rapidly. Which means finding the right nutritional and educational support is important to help them grow during this equally as important life stage.   

Why nutritional support matters  

Giving your kids proper nourishment is not only key to helping support healthy physical growth, but also fuels academic and cognitive functions. Not to mention, nourishing them with nutrient-rich wholefoods can help them to establish lifelong healthy habits.  

If you’re dealing with picky eaters or food intolerances, finding the right nutritional supplements can help support their rapidly growing bodies. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is one of those supplements you’ve likely been taking since before they were conceived in hopes of helping grow a thriving, healthy baby. But this omega-3 fatty acid is actually essential for your little one to continue developing, supporting their growing brain and eyes well after they stop breastfeeding. 

While the first 1000 days are crucial, brain development doesn’t stop there. Every moment afterwards plays a role in setting them up for success. As your child nears three, it’s completely natural to relax a bit about every single bite they take. But rather than stepping back entirely, let your approach to nutrition evolve right alongside their growing brain 

How to support their development  

As parents, you always want the best for your children, so knowing how to support and supplement their nutrition and development is important.   

Omega-3s, more specifically DHA, have been researched to find that they may support brain health and healthy development. And while encouraging them to eat a range of omega-3-rich foods does wonders for their health, the reality of feeding young children can be incredibly challenging. The human body doesn’t efficiently produce its own DHA, meaning it must come directly from their diet. The best sources are cold-water oily fish, but getting a toddler to happily eat salmon multiple times a week can be a battle. 

Bio Island’s DHA For Kids ($32.99 from Bio Island) is Australian-made supplement formulated specifically to support infants’ and children’s omega-3 needs. Formulated with algae-sourced DHA, the convenient fish-shaped twist-tail softgel capsules don’t have that ‘fishy’ taste some other supplements have and are free from artificial colours and flavours, dairy, lactose, gluten, preservatives, sugar, fish products and GMO ingredients. 

It’s understanding this need that can help you to give your little one’s all the tools they need to become the best version of themselves as they grow and learn.  

*Always read the label and follow the directions for use.