Expecta Uses

Expecta Lipil is primarily used for supplementing a pregnant or breastfeeding woman's diet. This supplement contains DHA, which can help improve brain and eye development and may decrease the risk of preterm birth. Expecta Lipil is only meant to be used in addition to a prenatal vitamin that does not contain DHA. At this time, there are no approved off-label Expecta Lipil uses.

 

What Is Expecta Used For?

Expecta® Lipil® is a non-prescription supplement designed especially for pregnant and breastfeeding women. This supplement contains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an important omega-3 fatty acid. Expecta Lipil is intended to be used along with (not in place of) your regular prenatal vitamin.
 
Currently, the trend in new prenatal vitamins is to include DHA, so make sure to check your prenatal vitamin to see if it already contains DHA (in which case you should not add Expecta Lipil). Expecta Lipil softgels provide 200 mg of DHA per day, which is a little less than the generally accepted recommended intake for pregnant and breastfeeding women (300 mg per day), as most women already get a little DHA from their diets (but not enough).
 
DHA is usually found in fish oil. It may be important for some women to know that the DHA in Expecta Lipil comes from a non-fish source (it comes from a certain type of algae). Therefore, it is usually safe for women who have a fish allergy and it is not contaminated with mercury (as some fish oil products may be).
 

How Does Expecta Work?

Expecta Lipil contains DHA, an
 omega-3 fatty acid. DHA provides a wide variety of health benefits. There is some evidence that it may decrease the risk of preterm birth (having a baby prematurely), improve brain function, and improve vision. Fish are the main source of DHA, and the typical American diet is usually deficient in DHA. Additionally, because many pregnant women are instructed to limit their intake of certain fish (due to the potential risks of mercury toxicity), it is likely that many pregnant women are not getting enough DHA.
 
(Expecta Uses Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;