I don't think women are deficient in DHA because they are consuming too few omega 3 capsules or even fish for that matter. It is because they do not eat green food, epecially dark leafy greens. There cetainly has been no push among HCPs to stress the importance of green foods. Pregnant women are constantly told to eat more protein, but not to eat more vegetables. I suspect that the HCPs themselves rarely eat green foods, especially in any significant quantity and we all know how little education most HCPs have in nutrition. Most moms I talk to think corn, peas and iceburg lettuce count as vegetables and many eat no vegetables at all. Many moms think fruits and vegetables are interchangeable and will increase fruits instead of vegetables. Since pills are "easier to swallow", I think it becomes very easy for HCPs to just tell moms to take Omega this or that in pill form, even though many are of dubious quality. 

We are constantly being told the body cannot adequately convert ALA to DHA, but I have to wonder if it isn't the SAD that has made such a thing true. Further, what is the level of liver congestion of the average person on the SAD for thirty years, especially when you add in years of birth control pills, the use of over-the-counter drugs and certainly the prescription drugs that most Americans (and perhaps many other Westerners) take. Just watch what happens to the skin of a person to adds enough dark lesfy green to her diet--it becomes soft and clear--a reflection of the healthy oils on the inside. 

All of that said, I will encourage moms to take added oils when they make it clear to me they will not eat greens, b/c their babies need to get it from somewhere. IMO, until we see changes in the eating habits of the average mom, we will continue to see justification in studies for the supplements that are being aggressively marketed to them.
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Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA
Intuitive Parenting Network LLC