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| A randomized controlled trial of early dietary supply of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and mental development in term infants |
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| Author(s): Birch EE, Garfield S, Hoffman DR, Uauy R, Birch DG |
| Source: DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE AND CHILD NEUROLOGY Volume: 42 Issue: 3 Pages: 174-181 Published: MAR 2000 |
| Times Cited: 216 References: 40 |
| Abstract: The effects of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supply during infancy on later cognitive development of healthy term infants were evaluated in a randomized clinical trial of infant formula milk supplemented with 0.35% DHA or with 0.36% DHA and 0.72% arachidonic acid (AA), or control formula which provided no DHA or AA, Fifty-six 18-month-old children (26 male, 30 female) who were enrolled in the trial within the first 5 days of life and fed the assigned diet to 17 weeks of age were tested using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd edition (BSID-II) (Bayley 1993) at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, TX. These children had also been assessed at 4 months and 12 months of age for blood fatty-acid composition, sweep visual evoked potential (VEP) acuity, and forced-choice preferential looking (FPL) acuity (Birch et al, 1998), Supplementation of infant formula with DHA+AA was associated with a mean increase of 7 points on the Mental Development Index (MDI) of the BSID-II, Both the cognitive and motor subscales of the MDI showed a significant developmental age advantage for DHA- and DHA+AA-supplemented groups over the control group. While a similar trend was found for the language subscale, it did not reach statistical significance. Neither the Psychomotor Development Index nor the Behavior Rating Scale of the BSID-II showed significant differences among diet groups, consistent with a specific advantage of DHA. supplementation on mental development. Significant correlations between plasma and RBC-DHA at 4 months of age but not at 12 months of age and MDI at 18 months of age suggest that early dietary supply of DHA was a major dietary determinant of improved performance on the MDI. |
| Document Type: Article |
| Language: English |
| Reprint Address: Birch, EE (reprint author), Retina Fdn SW, 9900 N Cent Expressway,Suite 400, Dallas, TX 75231 USA |
Addresses:
1. Retina Fdn SW, Dallas, TX 75231 USA |
| Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS, 40 WEST 20TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10011-4211 USA |
| Subject Category: Clinical Neurology; Pediatrics |
| IDS Number: 296RL |
| ISSN: 0012-1622 |
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